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(6) Freedom from change in extension in space. (7) Freedom from status-low or high. (8) Freedom from obstruction by any external force. The Ācārānga Sūtra describes the nature of free soul as follows:
This description is similar to the Upnișadic description. Although there is a fundamental difference in the Vedic concept of niśreyas and the Jain concept, there are many things in common. For example, according to both of them, the pure soul is always immersed in infinite ānand, which is actually its innate nature.
In the Jain concept of pure soul, the following features are quite peculiar:
(1) The existence of each pure soul is independent. The number of such souls is infinite. They all stay at a definite place in the cosmos which is called 'Siddha Kșetra'.
(2) The spatial extension of pure souls may differ from each other. The rule is that 2/3 of the extension of the last body left remains; so the maximum and minimum spatial extensions of the siddha-ātmā is between the 2/3 of the maximum and minimum of those available in humans who can attain the moksha.
(3) The infinite number of siddha ātmā remain in the limited space, without obstructing each other. This inter-penetratibity is explained by
pradīp-prabha-patat vat’’that is, just as the light of any number of lamp do not obstruct each other, so also the siddha-ātmās occupying the same space do not obstruct each other. Process of Attainment of Niśreyas
The state of Niśreyas is attained only when the karmas are totally annihilated. But it is obvious that the process of annihilation starts with the gradual elimination of karmas. Thus, with every partial elimination, the partial attainment of mokṣa is made. Just as in filling a bucket of water, every drop added makes its contribution, but it is the last drop that is responsible for the culmination; in the same way every time the soul becomes free from karma, partial attainment is made, and at last soul becomes completely free from karma when the last particle of karma is separated from the soul. In the light of this fact, we can say that the moksa or niśreyas is a continuous process lasting over a long period. When a sādhak makes his soul partially free from impurity of karma, some sort of bliss is experienced by him. Specially, in the state of deep meditation, such feeling is very clearly experienced. Thus, we can say that the state of TGTH Y511 37orake-farytale, 2002 C
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