Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
Every soul possesses consciousness. The soul is the knower. 'je āyā se viṇṇāyā’.[1] Consciousness is the nature of soul. Consciousness remains more or less in all the beings. Though, each and every living being has infinite power of knowledge from an existential point of view, from the perspective of expression and development, it is not the same in all beings. According to the variation in the obscurance of knowledge, corresponding effect in the expression and development of consciousness takes place. Even in one-sensed beings, the experience of one sense is present. If it is not there, then there will be no difference between living beings and non-living beings. In Nandī, it has been said that the trace of cognition is always present in all the beings. In the absence of such traces, the very existence of soul-hood will be difficult to recognize and the soul will become equal to non soul.[2] Fractional uncoveredness (pertaining to relevant karma) of knowledge is always there in every living being. So consciousness is any inalienable characteristic of a living being.
The existential point of view states that the soul is pure. Variation occurs through the degree of elimination of karma. As with the rising of Jñānāvaraṇīya karma, a living being is considered ignorant (ajñānī) and with its kṣayopaśama (destruction cum subsidence) the soul is called as mati jñānī (having perceptual cognition), śrutajñānī (having verbal knowledge) etc. The audayika (rising), aupaśamika (subsidence), kṣāyika (destruction), kṣāyopaśamika (destruction cum subsidence), pāriṇāmika (innate transformation into different modes) and sannipātika (combination of all) these six states of living beings are mentioned in Sthānāṅga.[3] On the basis of these states, the personality of the worldly living beings is determined. With audāyika state, the outer personality of a being is developed. With kṣāyopśamika state, one's internal personality is developed. Acāryā Umāswāti has mentioned, these five states (first five) as the nature of living being.[4] Personality develops on the basis of these states, why the living being is and how he/she is and other such questions can be answered through these states of soul. These states are important constituents in recognizing the soul. The physical, psychological, psychic and spiritualistic status of a living being can be explained on the basis of these states. It may be important in the field of philosophy and psychology to recognize living being's structure of body, variation in the intellect and emotions on the basis of the five states of soul.
The cognitive activity is the characteristic of consciousness. 'Uvaogalakkhaṇeṇaṃ jīve'.[5] Expression of life takes place through cognitive activity. Jīva with the soul tendencies such as rising (sense of elevation), strength, actions and courage express the livingness of the living beings (self).[6] Bhagavatī states that soul is conscious and incorporeal, but the worldly souls are occupied with the body. It becomes corporeal because of its embodiment. Due to the possession of body, it is visible but the consciousness in itself is invisible. It becomes visible through action or activity. Soul is not recognized by knowledge alone but through its cognitive activity. A jīva expresses its consciousness through activities such as rising, moving, sleeping etc. Conscious activity becomes the characteristic of the jīva. The characteristics of jīva is said to be the cognitive activity. There are infinite modes of knowledge. The modes of knowledge change according to the object of knowledge. So, the cognitive activity of consciousness becomes the characteristic of jīva.[7] Effort and cognitive activity are the dividing factors between the living and the non-living.
Jīva expresses itself through Virya (power). The attainment of matijñāna is due to the destruction-cum-subsidence of jñānavaraṇīya karma, but for the cognitive activity of matijñāna, the rise of body determining karma and the destruction-cum-subsidence of vīryāntāraya (power-obscuring) karma is essential. Knowledge cannot be used without power. The Sānkhya philosophy does not accept concept of Virya (power) in jīva. According to them, power remains in pṛakrti (primordial power). However, contrary to this, Jain philosophy accepts power in jīva. Jīva has infinite knowledge and intuition as its inherent nature, but its utility is only possible with the destruction-cum-subsidence of vīryāntarāya karma.
Empirical Characteristics of jīva
Homogenous birth, growth, homogenous reproduction, injury-healing and undetermined horizontal movement - these are empirical characteristics of jīva. Eating, sleeping, drinking, walking, sleep, fear, reproduction, growth, etc. become the means of characteristic of jīva in the empirical world. In Biology, growth, metabolism, reproduction and sensation are the determined characteristics of a cell. These can be considered as the distinctive factors between living and non living. A machine can consume fuel, but its body cannot grow. For running a machine, petrol, fuel etc. is required and it runs with the help of these things, but it cannot internalize fuel. The soul takes its food, digests and excretes it from the body with the help of aliment bio-potential[8] This ability of internalization of ingested food is possible only in living beings and not in non living beings. So, the bio-potential is also a characteristic of the jīva. A machine cannot reproduce. It neither takes birth from homogenous nor gives birth to homogenous species. On the contrary, worldly soul has these capacities.
No machine can move in any direction without human instruction. A train can move on the track, a plane can fly in the space, but they cannot move even an inch of their own accord. On the contrary, a small ant can move, as per its wish. The determiner of the mechanical action is the effort of the conscious soul. The above mentioned characteristics are the characteristics for the recognition of mundane souls.
For recognizing a jīva and to discriminate it from the non-living, there are some special characteristics available in Pañcāstikāya.
jāṇadi passadi savvaṃ, icchadi sukhaṃ, bibhedi dukkhādo
kuvvādī hidamahidaṃ vā, bhunjadi jīvo phalaṃ tesiṃ[9]
[A living being knows all the matters, sees them. It desires comfort, fears sufferings, it does favourable and unfavourable deeds and bears their result.]
Knowledge, intuition, desire for happiness, fear etc. are the characteristics of recognizing the mundane soul.
