The existence of the soul is a
presupposition in the Jaina philosophy. Proofs are not necessary. If there
are any existence of the soul. �Oh Gautama, the soul is pratyakasa� said
Mahavira,� for that in which your knowledge consists is itself soul�. What
is pratyaksa need not be prove like the pleasure and pain of the
body. It is prartyaksa owig to the ahampratyaksa, the
realization of the I, which is associated with the functions pertaining t
all the three tenses. William James and James word present self-
consciousness in this form. Ward talks of the internal perception� or self
� consciousness. The last order of knowledge of the duality of subject ad
object is an indispensable condition of all acute experience. It is the
subject of experience that we call the pure ego or self.7 William James
says, �for this central part of the self is felt. It is something by which
we also have direct sensible consciousness in which it is present, as in
the whole life-time of such moments.8 thus , one who ignores the
self-accidence of the soul is like one who says that sound is inaudible
and the moon is devoid of the moon. The existence of the soul can be
inferred from the behavior of others. Similarly, the soul exists because
�it is my word, O Gautama.� 9
The jiva is described from
the nominee and phenomenal points of view. From the oumenal point of view,
the soul is described in the pure form. The phenomenal describes the
empirical qualities of the soul. From the pure point of view, it is not
associated with body or any physical or mental qualities. Mahavira points
out the third Ganadhara that the soul is different from the body it sees;
just as Ddevadatta recollect san object perceived through the five widows
of the palace, which is different from the palace and the five windows, so
also a person recolecting an object perceive through the if senses of the
body is different from the sense as the body 10
The Buddhist impermanence of the
soul is also refuted. Buddhistas had said that there was no self except
the khandas kundakundacaraya points out that from the noumea point
of view the soul and the body are not one, also though in worldly practice
the soul having a beautiful body is called beauriful ad fair like the
beautiful body of the living Arhati. 11 In the Chanadogyopanisad,
in the dialogue between yajanavakaya and Janaka, the idea of the
self is progressively brought out by showing that it is not a physical
entity nor a dream �state.
From the nominal pint of view, the soul pure
and perfect. It is pure consciousness. From the real point of view, the
soul is unbound, untouched and not other than itself. The soul is one and
not composite. In the Sthananga we get a description of the soul as
one(ege atta). The commentator describes it as ekavidhah a
tmanaah. 12 Samasara kundakaundacaraya describes the absolute oneness of
the soul �On the strength of my self- realisation�. 13 This
does not contradict the plurality of souls in Jainism. It only emphasizes
the essential identity of souls. Jivas in al their individual
characteristics are essentially the same. If the souls were one, then, �O
Gautama, there would not be sukha duhkha, bhandha mosksa, etc�
Individual souls are different like the kumbhas.14
The nature of jiva has been well described by Nemicandra in his
Dravyasamgradha. He describes the foul both from the nominee and
phenomenal points of view. He says that jiva is characterised by
upayoga, is formless and is an agent. It has the same extent as its
body. It is the enjoyer of the fruits of Karma. It exists in samasara. It
is siddha and has a characteristic of upward motion. 15 We get a similar
description in the pancastikayasara of kundakundacaraya. Jiva is
formless. It characterised by upayoga. It is attached to karama.
It is the Lord, the agent and the ejoyer of the fruits of karama. It
pervades bodies large or small. It has a tendency to go upward to the end
of loka being freed from the impurities of kiarama.16 The
Tattavarthasutra describes the nature of the soul as possess ing
upayoga as its essential characteristic:
Eight Characteristics:
Every Jiva possesses an
infinite number of qualities, Flasebappi, in his Doctrine of karama in
jaina philolophy mentions eight important characteristics:
1. The
faculty of omniscience (kevala- jnana)
2. The
faculty of absolute undifferentiated cognition (kevala-darsana)
3. Superiority
over joy and grief.
4. Possession
of belief I complete religious truth (samayakatva), and
irreproachable moral conduct (caritra)
5. Possession
of eternal life (aksayashiti)
6. Complete
formlessess (amurtava)
7. Unrestricted
energy (viryatva)
8. Complete
equality in rank with other Jivas.
