Jain Metaphysics and Science: 4.1 Atman and Soul in Jain Philosophy

In the first chapter we learned about jiva as one of the substance existing in loka. We need to know more about jiva for understanding its functioning. In the last chapter we studied the characteristics of paramanu and its aggregates. The paramanu is the pure form of pudgala and is the real substance; the aggregates are impure and consist of modes of paramanu. Unlike paramanu pudgala, which occurs in pure form, the jiva naturally exists in impure form. The impurity in jiva is due to karma attached to it. Jiva without karma, which are pudgala, is not found naturally. Thus the jiva, which was described as non-corporeal, is in fact corporeal as found in nature. In practice only the impure corporeal form of jiva is capable of performing any physical action, the noncorporeal form of jiva cannot do anything physical. This is an important concept and must be clearly understood.

In order that we maintain clarity of description we define the following. Soul - It is the corporeal form of jiva having karma body (and also luminous body) that is soul means a composite structure of jiva and karma. The soul is doer and enjoyer of sensual acts of pleasure and pain through physical activities of body, speech and mind. The soul interacts with the external world through karma. Karma determines the degree of impurity of the soul, more are karma more is the impurity and vice versa. The consciousness of Jiva with less karma is more explicit and with more karma it is less explicit.

Atman - It is the sentient part of the soul that is, it is the jiva substance in the impure state or it is the non-corporeal part of corporeal soul. Being non-corporeal atman by itself is incapable of performing physical acts of body, speech and mind which are characteristic of life. In canonical terms atman is neither doer nor enjoyer of physical acts of pleasure and pain. When the soul performs physical acts, the atman possessing consciousness undergoes modification and depending on the level of consciousness experiences knowledge, conation, bliss and vitality. The manifestation of consciousness and hence the knowledge, conation, bliss and vitality attributes of atman are limited by karma, the pure atman having full manifestation of consciousness enjoys unlimited knowledge, conation, bliss and vitality.

It may be noted that the terms atman and soul describe the reality jiva from different points of view and so bear a definite relationship. There is a correspondence between the two in the sense that the same measure of impurity is reflected in both. The knowledge, perception, bliss and vitality of atman have a direct but inverse relationship with the karma of the soul. More are karma more is the cover on inner power of atman and vice versa. That is, in the most impure state of the soul least power of atman is expressed and in a pure soul without karma the atman enjoys infinite knowledge, perception, bliss and vitality. The correspondence relationship between soul and atman is just like the relationship between an object and its image in a mirror. The atman acts like a mirror and karma acts as the object. An image of the karma is formed in the atman and the atman is illusioned to consider the image as his real self and he behaves accordingly. The image is the cover on atman that inhibits its intrinsic qualities and hinders direct knowledge and perception. It represents ignorance in the super knowledge atman. The image being an exact copy of the object experiences the same changes as the karma. If it any stage realization comes that the image is not himself it is an external influence then atman becomes aware of his own real self and tries to do away with the image by eradicating karma.

Depending on the state, the following forms of atman are also defined.

1. External atman (Bahiratman) – state of the atman which forgetting his own real capabilities considers the outside world as the source of pleasure and pain (the body is also external to atman). He identifies himself with the body. This is known as the state of wrong belief (Mithyatva).
2. Inner atman (Antaratman) – state of atman, which recognizes that the real source of pleasure and pain is within. Atman differentiates between himself and body. Three stages of this state of atman have been described.
1. Lowest inner atman – atman has the right perception (that he is different from the body) but has not initiated serious action to remove the impurity that is responsible for pain and pleasure and his alien form (4th spiritual stage, see chapter 7)
2. Medium inner atman – stages of atman in the path of purification of the self by reducing passions (5th -6th spiritual stages).
3. Highest inner atman – the stage of the atman where most passions have been eliminated (7th-12th spiritual stage).
3. Paramatma (Super atman) – atman free of passions and enjoying the true-self having infinite knowledge, perception, bliss and vitality.

There are two types of paramatma.

1. Arihant (Omniscient) – atman enjoys his infinite capabilities due to elimination of psychical (ghatin) karma but is still embodied due to remaining physiological (aghatin) karma (13th spiritual stage).
2. Liberated soul (Siddha) – atman in the purest state without karma and body. He enjoys infinite knowledge, perception, bliss and vitality continuously forever. Atman being nonphysical, the constraints of time and space do not apply. It is seen from above that the terms atman and soul can be used interchangeably bearing in mind that they refer to state of jiva from the absolute and practical points of view respectively.

Souls are infinite (in the loka). Every soul has individual existence; individual soul is the central concept of Jain thought. The total number of souls in loka does not change. This means soul can neither be created nor destroyed. The life (organism) is an embodied soul. All species found in nature are modes of soul. Modes change according to karma. The soul is born as a particular species according to his karma. The body is an outfit which the soul keeps on changing to proceed forward on the path of purification.  Soul is too subtle to be a subject of our perception, it can be perceived by omniscient only. Life and consciousness are coextensive. Wherever there is life, there is consciousness and the vice versa. But there are degrees of explicitness or manifestations of consciousness in different organisms. In the lowest class of organisms, it is very much latent, while in human beings, it is very much manifest. It is entirely distinct from all inanimate existence. Characteristic qualities viz. colour, odour etc. inherent in physical existence has no relevance in the case of jiva, and hence, it cannot be recognized by sense perception.

Consciousness manifests itself in several ways: intuition, perception (cognitive elements), emotions, will, attitude and behaviour, awareness of pleasure and pain.

Some of the observations, which help validate the existence of soul, are:

1. Self-consciousness possessed by a living being like I am, I am happy, I am sad, etc. The body does not make such experiences. Expressions like, I have done it, I do it, I will do it indicate the existence of soul the doer.
2. The intention of doubt, curiosity, inquisitiveness, etc. is expressions of consciousness. The doubt I am or I am not, also generates in soul and not in the body.
3. The soul is the counterpart of matter (ajiva). The existence of a substance without a counterpart cannot be supported logically.

The following main facts about soul are noted in Jain philosophy.

1. Soul is beginning less, endless and eternal. It cannot be destroyed. As a substantial reality it remains the same all the time, in past, present and future, and so it is perpetual. Considering modes in the form of different bodies, soul is transient.
2. In embodied existence, soul and body appear to be same but this is not really so. Body is different from soul.
3. Soul contracts or expands to occupy the space of the body he assumes. The same soul can pervade the body of an elephant or an ant. Not withstanding the size of the body, the number of pradesa of soul remains the same.
4. Atman is non corporeal and is recognized by his power of knowing objects.
5. Soul is the source of intuition, perception, happiness and vitality in a living organism.
6. Soul possesses powers. The main powers are the power of intuition and knowledge, vitality and will power.
7. Being invisible, soul is identified by his ability of cognizance, an embodied soul desires for comical amusement, recreation, pleasure, speech, movement etc.
8. The karman varganas (form of energy) attracted by a soul get converted into karma unaided. This is further discussed in Chapter 5.
9. The thoughts and actions of a soul leave a permanent impression. These impressions are stored in the karma body, which moves with the soul in his journey from one body to another.  
10. The bondage of karma with the soul is beginning less. The karma can be shed from soul by practicing austerity and penance. This in fact, is the way to get rid of karma and attain the state of salvation.
11. Atman is non-corporeal but he is embodied due to his karma..  
12. All living organisms have similar potential powers and abilities but every living organism is in a different state of development. The development of the soul is determined by own purifying efforts and other governing factors.
13. There is no place in loka where soul in subtle or gross form (of organism) is not present.

The number of pradesas of dharma, adharma, loka and soul are although equal they differ in respect of space occupied. The space occupied by dharma, adharma and loka is always the same but the space occupied by a mundane soul keeps on changing by the process of contraction and expansion taking place according to the size of the body the soul occupies. However, the space occupied by soul is never as low as the space of a paramanu and as big as the space of loka, except at the time just prior to attaining omniscience (kevali samudgat). For this reason soul is said to have a medium size. In the psychical order of existence the soul occupies the space of the body it assumes and this should not be confused with the size of soul. The number of pradesa of a soul (innumerable) is imaginary and not real, the concept only helps us in defining the size of soul. Truly speaking the soul is one indivisible whole and never suffers any division and reunion.

From the absolute point of view consciousness is the characteristic of soul. This characteristic is not found in any other substance. Soul follows the rule of origination –cessation - permanence as described in Chapter 1. The flow of mutation power of soul is a continuous process. The potential consciousness in each soul is infinite but its manifestation is different in different souls. The explicit intuition power of soul depends on his intuition deluding karma. More are intuition-deluding karmas less is the explicit intuition power and vice versa. However, a minimum fraction of total potential intuition power is always explicit in a soul; otherwise there would be no difference between soul and matter.

The total intuition power and full consciousness are released in the omniscient state, where soul becomes paramatma, the all – knowing god. Such a state can be attained by any capable (bhavya) soul. All the liberated souls maintain their identity and individual existence and continue to have consciousness as power of intuition and perception, which now are infinite. The embodied existence of soul and the related aspects of age, ailments, shape, pleasure and pain, contraction and expansion are all governed by karma. These phenomena become irrelevant when all karmas are destroyed and soul attains liberation. The liberated soul is therefore called sad-chit-anand i.e. one who enjoys permanent bliss. Liberated souls being body less do not experience any kind of vibrations; they are in the state of eternal calm having infinite power of intuition, perception, vitality and permanent bliss. All liberated souls are alike, fully developed, perfect and independent. There is no other power (God) controlling these liberated souls nor are these souls a part of a super soul as is generally believed in some other faiths. A liberated soul is pure and is never reborn. All embodied souls are impure and have a cover of karma. Liberated souls are free of karma.