Jain Dharm Me Atma Vigyan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain Dharm me Atma Vigyan" by Jashkaran Daga, focusing on the concept of the Soul (Atma) in Jainism:

The book "Jain Dharm me Atma Vigyan" by Jashkaran Daga, presented within the context of the Umravkunvarji Diksha Swarna Jayanti Smruti Granth, delves into the profound science of the soul within Jain philosophy. It establishes that the entire universe fundamentally comprises two eternal, infinite, and unchanging entities: Jiva (Soul) and Ajiva (Non-Soul). All worldly forms, states, and outcomes are merely permutations of these two principles. The world is depicted as a grand theatre where the drama of the soul and non-soul has been unfolding since time immemorial and will continue eternally. The soul is the protagonist, and the non-soul is its facilitator. The soul, intoxicated by the wine of delusion (moha), has forgotten its original pure nature and wanders in a state of transformed existence, wearing many disguises. To halt this ageless wandering and attain its original, pure, supreme self-nature (Paramaatma-swabhav), understanding one's true self (Swa-swaroop) is paramount. The text then proceeds to explain the science of the soul.

What is the Soul (Atma)?

According to the definition, "Tatsya Bhavastattvam," a tattva is an existing reality. The soul-tattva is that which is ever-unchanging, immortal, indestructible, eternal, conscious, formless, and in its fundamental essence, is the pure, unblemished, and formless Brahman.

Identification of the Soul:

The soul can be identified by the following characteristics:

It experiences happiness and sorrow.
It possesses the faculty of knowledge and perception (upayog gyan).
It is endowed with vital consciousness (prana chetana) and inherent energy (virya shakti).
It transmigrates through the four realms of existence: hellish beings (Narak), sub-human beings (Tiryanch), human beings (Manushya), and heavenly beings (Dev).
It is eternal – it never perishes, is not diminished by fire, not soaked by water, and not carried away by the wind.

Principal Names of the Soul:

In the worldly realm, the soul is recognized by various names, the principal ones being:

Jiva: The soul that adopts the states of being alive and also experiences death (in terms of its embodied form).
Prani: The soul that possesses ten life-sustaining elements (dravya pranas) like mind, senses, etc., and four functional life-sustaining elements (bhava pranas) like knowledge, perception, etc.
Chetan: One who is endowed with consciousness or the faculty of perception.
Sattva: That which is real, true, and eternal.

Characteristics of the Soul:

The soul possesses infinite attributes. Its principal characteristics are: "Nanam ch sanshanam cheva, charitram cha tapo tatha. Viriyam upavoygo cha, evam jeevasya lakshanam." This translates to: Knowledge (Gyan), Perception (Darshan), Conduct (Charitra), Austerity (Tapa), Energy (Virya), and Consciousness (Upayog) are the characteristics of the soul. Additionally, attributes like Agurulaghutva (immateriality, not heavy or light) and Amurtatva (formlessness) are also considered soul characteristics.

Various Forms of the Soul:

The pure soul (Shuddhatma) is endowed with the fourfold nature of knowledge, perception, bliss, and power. However, the soul afflicted by delusion is deprived of its infinite glory. The wise have classified the soul, in its various states, as follows:

Dravyatma: Each soul is composed of innumerable spatial units (pradesh).
Kashyatma: The soul that is engrossed in anger, pride, delusion, and greed.
Yogatma: The soul that is associated with mental, verbal, and physical actions (yoga).
Upayogatma: The soul that is engaged in knowledge and perception.
Gyanatma: The soul that is inclined towards knowledge.
Darshanatma: The soul that is inclined towards perception.
Charitratma: The soul that is inclined towards righteous conduct.
Viryatma: The soul that is endowed with effort and strength.

Of these, the first four (Dravyatma, Upayogatma, Gyanatma, Darshanatma) exist in all souls in terms of substance and attributes. However, the remaining four represent the impure states of the soul.

Classifications of the Soul:

Souls are infinite, and each has a distinct existence. Their classifications are explained based on their different states and permutations:

One Classification: All souls are conscious and possess the faculty of perception, hence in the aggregate (sangrahana-naya) they are one, as stated in the scriptures: "Eke Paya" (One Soul). However, this does not negate the independent existence of individual souls. In terms of substance (dravya), all souls are distinct. If they were not, how could one soul experience happiness while another experiences sorrow simultaneously, or one laughs while another cries?
Two Classifications: Siddha (liberated souls) and Sansari (worldly souls). Siddhas are those who have become free from karma and attained their pure nature. Sansaris are those who are still bound by karma.
Three Classifications:
- Bahiratma (External Soul): Those who do not understand their true soul nature, consider the body as the soul, are engrossed in sensual pleasures, and follow the principle "Live as long as you live, drink ghee even if you have to borrow." They do not truly understand the tattvas. This is the lowest, most deluded, and dormant state of the soul, also known as a state of absolute ignorance.
- Antaratma (Inner Soul): Those who awaken from the slumber of deluded ignorance, understand their true nature, and remain established in it. They have awakened discernment between truth and falsehood, virtue and vice. They understand the body and soul as distinct and experience this differentiation. Such souls engage in soul-practice and righteous deeds to the best of their ability. Enlightened householders and monks/nuns fall under this category.
- Paramatma (Supreme Soul): This refers to the supremely excellent soul. Souls that, through soul-practice, destroy karmas that obstruct knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy, and attain the highest stage of soul-development, become omniscient, omni-perceptive, and attain the form of the Supreme Soul. When the remaining four non-obstructing karmas are also destroyed, the embodied Supreme Soul becomes disembodied and attains the formless, liberated state of Siddha. Thus, Bahiratma symbolizes worldly existence, Antaratma symbolizes the spiritual seeker's life, and Paramatma symbolizes the state of ultimate purity. Every Bahiratma (a soul capable of liberation) can, through spiritual practice, evolve into an Antaratma and eventually, by destroying attachment and aversion, become eligible to become a Paramatma. Hence, it is said, "Appa so Paramappa" (The soul is the Supreme Soul).

The text further enumerates many other classifications of souls based on different criteria such as:

Three: Siddha, Trasa (mobile beings), Sthavara (immobile beings).
Four: Male-embodied, Female-embodied, Hermaphrodite-embodied, and those without specific gender determination.
Five: Naraka, Tiryanch, Manushya, Deva, Siddha.
Six: Ekendriya (one-sensed), Dvi-indriya (two-sensed), Tri-indriya (three-sensed), Chatura-indriya (four-sensed), Panch-indriya (five-sensed), and Anindriya (souls without senses, i.e., Siddha).
Seven: Earth-bodied, Water-bodied, Fire-bodied, Air-bodied, Vegetation-bodied, Trasa-bodied, and Akaaya Siddha (souls without any body).
Eight: Naraka, Tiryanch (male), Tiryanch (female), Manushya (male), Manushya (female), Deva (male), Devi (female), and Siddha.
Nine: Naraka, Tiryanch, Manushya, Deva (categorized as subtle and gross or with and without full development) and the ninth being Siddha.
Ten: Five Sthavaras, three Viklendriyas (two, three, and four-sensed beings), Panch-indriyas, and the tenth being Siddha.
Eleven: Ten types from Ekendriya to Panch-indriya (with and without full development) and the eleventh being Siddha.
Twelve: Subtle and gross aspects of five Sthavaras (ten types), one Trasa, and the twelfth being Siddha.
Thirteen: Six body types (five Sthavaras and Trasa) with and without full development (twelve types), and the thirteenth being Siddha.
Fourteen: Naraka, Tiryanch (male), Tiryanch (female), Manushya (male), Manushya (female), and four types of Devas and four types of Devis (Bhavanpati, Vyantaras, Jyotishkas, Vaimanikas) making thirteen, and the fourteenth being Siddha.
Fifteen: Subtle Ekendriya, Gross Ekendriya, three Viklendriyas, Sanji Panch-indriya (conscious five-sensed), Asanji Panch-indriya (unconscious five-sensed) – these seven categories, with their subtle and gross aspects, create fourteen types, with the fifteenth being Siddha.

These classifications help in understanding the various permutations and states of the soul, aiding in comprehending its true nature. The text notes that worldly souls can be further classified into 563 types, detailed in discussions on the Nav Tattvas (Nine Principles) and Panchi-boli (Twenty-five Predicates).

The Soul's Existence is Eternal:

Certain materialistic schools, like the Charvakas, deny the separate existence of the soul, stating that the soul originates from the five great elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) and perishes with them. This assertion is deemed flawed and false because the elements have their own distinct properties, while the soul's property is consciousness, which is separate. If consciousness arises from the combination of elements, it's questionable how a quality not present in any single element can emerge upon their combination. Furthermore, if life were merely a product of the elements, death should not occur as long as the elements are present. However, it is evident that the body, composed of elements, remains, while the soul departs. While elemental imbalances might be proposed as causes of death, the impossibility of resurrecting life in a dead body, even with advanced science, confirms the soul's independent and eternal nature.

Some philosophers accept the soul but consider it transient and perishable, not an eternal principle. This belief is also false, as evidenced by phenomena like Jatismarana Jnana (knowledge of past lives), where individuals recount their previous existences, often corroborated by scientific investigation, affirming the soul's eternal existence.

The text cites Shrimad Rajchandra, a prominent spiritual seeker of this era who experienced Jatismarana, as confirming the soul's existence through direct experience. His verses highlight the paradoxical nature of the soul, questioning how consciousness can arise from inert matter and vice versa. He attributes the variations in anger and other passions to past life impressions, confirming the soul's continuity. The soul itself is eternal, while its permutations change, much like a child's understanding evolves into that of an adult, yet the underlying consciousness remains.

The soul is a formless, intangible entity. Its invisibility does not negate its existence, just as phenomena like sound, electricity, and air are imperceptible yet undeniably real. The soul is an incredibly subtle element devoid of sound, color, smell, taste, or touch; it is purely consciousness and perception. It controls the body, mind, and senses, yet remains beyond their grasp. Therefore, such a magnificent, unique soul-principle should be accepted with firm conviction through self-experience.

The Soul is Hell, Heaven, and Liberation:

Lord Mahavir, illustrating the soul's unique nature, stated: "Appa nai Verani, Appa me koodasamli. Appa kamadukha ghenu, Appa me nandan vanam." "The soul is the Vaitarani river and the Salmali tree of hell; the soul is the wish-fulfilling cow and the Nandan garden."

"Appa katta vikatta y, buhana y suhana y. Appa mittamittam cha, duppattiyasupattio." "The soul is the doer and undoer of both suffering and happiness for the wise. The soul is its own friend when aligned with the right path, and its enemy when it engages in wicked conduct."

"Appana yev yunjahi, ki te yujjena vajjao. Appanamev appana, jeytta suhamehae." "Struggle with your own soul, with whom else are you struggling? He who conquers his own soul attains happiness."

"Appa chev dameyavvo, appa hu khalu dudamo. Appa banto suhi ho'i, assai loe paratth ya." "The soul must be controlled; the soul is indeed difficult to subdue. One who controls their soul becomes happy in this world and the next."

The Rare Attainment of Soul-Science:

Among the nine principles, the soul (Jiva) is the most important and primary. However, its proper understanding and faith are exceedingly rare. Firstly, not all beings are inclined to listen to or understand the tattvas. The wise state: "Birala sunenti tam, birala jananti taccado tam. Birala bhavahi tam, biralanam dharana hovi." "Rare are those who listen to the truth; rare are those among listeners who truly understand it. Rare are those who deeply feel the truth; even rarer are those who have firm faith in it."

Even those who serve near the Tirthankaras and possess knowledge up to the ninth Purva may lack proper faith in the soul-tattva, despite possessing extensive information. While their knowledge may benefit others, they themselves may remain in a state of fundamental misbelief. Despite being highly learned and accomplished scholars, they may remain skeptical about the soul. Great personalities like Indrabhuti Gautam, the chief scholar of the four Vedas, were also skeptical about the soul's nature before receiving true enlightenment from Lord Mahavir.

Without developing right faith in this soul-tattva, no amount of renunciation, austerity, or ritualistic practice can help a soul transcend the first stage of existence (Mithyatva - fundamental misbelief). Just as a zero holds no value without a preceding digit, actions hold no significance in the path to liberation without faith in the soul.

Lord Mahavir likened the body to a boat, the soul to the oarsman, and the world to an ocean. He explained that great ascetics aspiring for liberation cross the ocean of the world. Therefore, souls capable of liberation should understand the science of the soul through scriptural authority and the guidance of a guru, develop right faith in it, acquire the skill of discernment (Bheda Vignana) to cross the ocean of worldly existence, and through diligent effort, attain liberation. This is the ultimate goal.