Quotations From Scriptures:
According to Jainism, soul is one of the six entities of the universe. There are infinite number of souls in the universe. They are independent from each other. A worldly soul is associated with karmic matter and so it interacts with other entities of the universe. On shedding all karmic matter through self-endeavor, a worldly soul becomes SIDDHA, a pure soul. This is the teaching of the religion of self-reliance (SHRAMAN DHARM). SIDDHAs enjoy the attributes of a pure soul. They do not interact with any other entity of the universe. The concepts presented in the following quotations from UTTARAADHYAYAN SUTRA constitute some important and unique features of the Jain religion. They bring out the differences between the concepts of reality in Jainism and other religions.
Definition of soul:
NAANAM CHA DANSANAM CHEV CHARITTAM CHA TAVO TAHA |
VEERIYAM UVAOGO YA AEYAM JEEVASSA LAKKHANAM || 28-11 ||
The defining characteristics of soul are:
knowledge, perception, conduct (activity), austerity,
potency (capability) and cognitive faculty.
(No other entity possesses these qualities.)
In TATTVAARTH SUTRA, Acharya Umaswati has written: a defining characteristic of soul is cognitive faculty (UPAYOGO LAKSHANAM). Cognitive faculty is active consciousness - knowledge and perception. Cognitive faculty initiates activity (conduct). Having rational perception, knowledge and conduct, an individual practices austerities (TAPAH) and eventually sheds all karmic matter. This potency (capability) of a worldly soul is called VEERYA. Thus cognitive faculty, knowledge, perception, conduct, potency and austerity are attributes of soul. No other entity of the universe, such as matter including energy, space and time, possesses any of these attributes.
Characteristics of soul:
NO INDIYAGGEJJH AMUTTABHAAVA AMUTTABHAAVA VI A HOI INCHCHO |
AJJHATHAHEUN NIYAYASSA BANDHO SAMSAARAHEUN CHA VAYANTI BANDHAM || 14-19 ||
Soul does not possess qualities of matter,
so it is not apprehensible by senses;
though the soul is not material, it is eternal;
soul's defiled actions result in its worldly cycles.
Soul is non-material - it does not have any qualities of matter or energy. Consequently, soul can not be detected through our senses. Though soul is incorporeal, it is eternal. Since time immemorial, worldly souls are ensnared in cycles of birth and death on account of their involvement in impure states caused by their interactions with external objects.
Aspects of Soul:
APPA NAI VERAYANI APPA ME KOODASAAMALI |
APPA KAAMADUHAA DHENU APPA ME NANDANAM VANAM || 20-36 ||
APPA KATTA VIKATTA YA DUHAAN YA SUHAAN YA |
APPA MITTAMAMITTAM CHA DUPPATTHIYA SUPATTHIO || 20-37 ||
My own self is the mythical river VAITARNI,
my own self is the legendary SHALMALI tree,
my own self is the fanciful KAAMADHENU,
my own self is the imaginary NANDAN garden.
My own self is the doer and undoer,
of unpleasant and pleasant experiences;
my own self, on meritorious path, is my friend,
my own self, engaged in demerit, is my foe.
The mythical VAITARNI river and SHALMALI tree signify the hellish state of our worldly existence, which is full of pain and misery, while the fanciful KAAMADHENU and NANDAN garden represent the heavenly state of prosperity, pleasure and happiness in life. Thus the import of the present couplets is that physical, vocal and mental activities of an individual are responsible for all desirable and undesirable events in his/her life. Good thoughts and feelings result in our spiritual uplift, while thoughts and feelings, defiled with passions and desires, cause pain and suffering in life. Thus a person is his/her own beneficial friend or evil enemy. These couplets emphasize the Jain concept of self-reliance (SHRAMAN religion).
Soul's arch enemy - defilement:
NA TAM ARI KANTHACHHETTA KAREI JAM SE KARE APPANIYA DURAPPAYA |
SE NAAHIEE MACHCHUMUHAM TU PATTE PACHCHHAANUTAAVEN DAYAAVIHOONO || 20-48 ||
A mortal enemy, who cuts one's throat, does not bring
as much misery as do one's own demeritorious acts;
realizing their mistakes, some confess and repent
for their misdeeds at the time of death, when it is too late.
Whether engaged in the ordinary activities of life or in spiritual pursuit, we are expected to look inward. We should realize that even a wicked adversary does not cause as much harm as do our own undesirable thoughts, feelings and actions. An enemy can commit only physical violence, but by having an untoward reaction to other's deeds, we commit self-directed mental violence and, at times, physical violence as well. Thus it is not proper to assail other's offensive deeds by spiteful and arrogant words and actions. In short, we should not commit physical or mental violence in response to other's offensive deeds, because violence can not be amended through violence. Thoughts and actions involving violence defile our lives. Some of us do not realize this truth in the early stages of our lives and indulge in arrogance and contempt for fellow beings. But realizing and repenting for our misdeeds at the time of death is too little and too late. We should practice nonviolence throughout our lives. Nonviolence is a virtue which brings us closer to spiritualism.
Path to eternal bliss:
APPA CHEV DAMEYAVVO APPA HU KHALU DUDDAMO |
APPA DANTO SUHI HOI ASSIM LOE PARATTHA YA || 1-15 ||
One should restrain none other than the self;
the self is formidable, difficult to restrain;
by subduing the self, one attains happiness,
in the present life as well as in the future.
We should realize that our undesirable thoughts and feelings are our insistent enemies. Further, it is very difficult to restrain the self. Therefore, we should religiously cultivate self-restraint and discipline. We can improve our lives by practicing virtues like nonviolence, truth and contentment. This is an effective way of achieving happiness and peace in this life and in the future.
Conquering the self:
VARAM ME APPA DANTO SANJAMEN TAVEN YA |
MAAHAM PAREHIM DAMMANTO BANDHANEHIM VAHEHI YA || 1-16 ||
It is most auspicious to control the self
through restraint and penance;
rather than calling for punishment
from others, confinement or the end of life.
Our first priority should be to limit our desires and perform penance. When we become slaves of our passions and indulge in immoral deeds, we invite punishment of various kinds. The society and the laws of the land restrict our activities. We lose our independence and our lives become miserable. Thus it is best to control the self rather than be controlled by other segments of society.
Ultimate victory:
JO SAHASSAM SAHASSAANAM SANGAAME DUJJAE JINE |
AEGAM JINIJJA APPAANAM AES SE PARAMO JAO || 9-34 ||
Victory over thousands of external enemies
in the battlefield is insignificant, (it is of no avail)
compared to the victory over one's inner enemies;
vanquishing one's passions is an unparalleled conquest.
Jainism is the religion of JINs - the victors, who have conquered their inner enemies such as anger, pride, intrigue and greed. Our passions are responsible for our karmic bondage, and so they are our mortal enemies. Therefore, controlling our passions is the ultimate victory.
How to attain ultimate victory?
APPAAN MEV JUJJHAAHI KIM TE JUJJHEN BAJJHAO |
APPAANA CHEVAMAPPAANAM JAITTA SUHAMEHAE || 9-35 ||
One should fight one's inner enemies - passions,
attachment, aversion, desires and the like.
What is the purpose of fighting the external enemies?
Conquering the self through self-reliance leads to happiness.
All conflicts in life arise by our indulgence in attachment, aversion, anger, pride, deceit, greed and desires of various kinds. They are the root cause of violence and unrest in our lives. So fighting external enemies is of no avail. Thus we should resist our inner enemies and control the self. Such discipline, which is cultivated through self-reliance, is the key to genuine happiness.
Inner enemies to be vanquished:
PANCHINDIYAANI KOHAM MAANAM MAAYAM TAHEV LOHAM CHA |
DUJJAYAM CHEV APPAANAM SAVVAMAPPE JIAE JIYAM || 9-36 ||
Most difficult to conquer is self;
but by conquering the five senses, and the
passions of anger, pride, intrigue and greed
the self stands propitiously conquered.
To conquer the self, we have to give up indulgence in the pleasures of the five senses. We have to avoid the passions of anger, ego, deceit and greed. When desires and passions are vanquished, the self enjoys contentment, happiness and serenity.
Crossing the ocean of worldly existence:
SAREERAMAAHU NAAV TTI JEEVO VUCHCHAI NAAVIO |
SAMSAARO ANNAVO VUTTO JAM TARANTI MAHESINO || 23-73 ||
This body may be viewed as a boat,
the soul is its worthy sailor,
the ocean is the cycles of worldly existence,
which is traversed by illustrious beings.
This is a beautiful and expressive metaphor depicting our worldly existence and the process of liberation. We, the worldly beings, have to face the ocean of innumerable cycles of birth and death. Our bodies can be compared to the boats floating in the ocean and our souls serve as skillful sailors, who can take the boats across the ocean of worldly miseries. We Jains do not believe that some superhuman entity helps us in achieving salvation. We have to liberate ourselves through self-endeavor. Thus we Jains are self-reliant (SHRAMAN). This is a unique feature of the Jain religion.
One who is truly devoted to one's soul, lives only for the uplift of one's soul and does not indulge in the attachment of non-soul, is a Jain. The rest are non-Jains.
- Kaka Kalelkar