Jivtattva Vivechan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text "Jivtattva Vivechan" by Milapchand Katariya, focusing on the core arguments about the nature of the soul (Jiva):

Central Theme: The Nature of the Soul (Jiva) in Jain Philosophy

The book "Jivtattva Vivechan" meticulously explores the fundamental Jain concept of the soul (Jiva), distinguishing it from the physical body and other substances. It aims to establish the soul as an eternal, conscious, and distinct entity, independent of the material world.

Key Arguments and Concepts:

1. The Soul is Eternal and Unchanging:

   • The universe is comprised of six eternal substances, one of which is the Jiva.
   • The number of souls is infinite and constant. No soul is ever created, nor does any soul perish.
   • What is commonly perceived as birth and death is merely the soul transmigrating from one body to another. Essentially, every soul is unborn and indestructible.

2. The Soul is Conscious and Distinct from Matter:

   • Among all substances, only the Jiva is conscious (chetanamay). All others are inanimate or material (achetana-jad).
   • The physical world perceived by the senses consists of Pudgala (matter). Pudgala is "roopi" (having form, tangible) and therefore perceptible.
   • The Jiva, however, is "arupi" (formless, intangible) and not perceivable by the senses. This does not mean it is non-existent; it possesses its own existence and a form.

3. The Soul's Form and Ability to Expand/Contract:

   • In the state of worldly existence (sansara), the soul assumes the shape of the body it inhabits.
   • In the liberated state (mukta), the soul does not have a physical body but retains the form of the body it last inhabited, albeit slightly diminished.
   • The soul has the inherent capacity to expand and contract. In its maximum expansion, it could pervade the entire universe. However, in its worldly state, it is limited by the size of the body it occupies.
   • This expansion and contraction are illustrated by the analogy of a lamp's light filling different-sized rooms or a person's sexual arousal leading to a physical expansion of the reproductive organ and corresponding expansion of the soul's subtle matter (ātmapradesh).
   • Addressing a potential doubt: The text clarifies that in moksha (liberation), the soul's expansion is not unlimited like a lamp's light after its cover is removed. Instead, just as a coiled rope does not spontaneously uncoil when its binding is removed, the soul's subtle matter does not expand on its own in moksha without an external cause.

4. The Interplay Between Soul and Body:

   • The soul is present in nearly all parts of the body, similar to how ghee is mixed in milk.
   • This intimate connection leads to a mutual influence:
     • Soul influencing the body: Emotions like anger cause facial distortions, furrowed brows, and red eyes. Happiness leads to a cheerful face, fear to trembling, and lust to arousal.
     • Body influencing the soul: Differences in physical strength between youth and old age, or the difficulty of a stout person running, are examples of the body's influence. The differing desires of men and women also stem from physical influences.

5. Distinguishing Soul from Body (Refutation of Materialism):

   • The text firmly refutes the idea that the body itself is the soul, arguing that their fundamental natures (conscious vs. unconscious) are distinct.
   • Evidence against body being the soul:
     • In a state of unconsciousness (murcha), the body remains, but consciousness ceases.
     • During sleep, even with functioning senses, the body doesn't perceive external objects.
     • A person can become insane with their body and senses intact, proving a distinct entity is responsible for sanity.

6. Jain Definition of the Soul (from Dravya Sangraha):

   • The soul is characterized as being:
     • Conscious (Jivo): Possessing life and awareness.
     • Experiential (upayogamay): Capable of experiencing and knowing.
     • Immaterial (amutto): Intangible, imperceptible to the senses.
     • Doer (karta): Responsible for actions.
     • Body-sized (sadehparimano): Taking on the size of the body it inhabits.
     • Experiencer of pleasure/pain (bhokta): Undergoing the results of actions.
     • In the cycle of rebirth (samsarasya): Undergoing transmigration through various life forms.
     • Similar to the liberated (siddho chiso): Possessing the potential for liberation.
     • Ascending by nature (urdhvagaman): Having a natural tendency to move upwards.

7. The Argument from Perception and Qualities:

   • While the soul is imperceptible, its existence is proven by its qualities, such as memory, curiosity, and doubt. These are self-evident and indicate the presence of the soul, which is the possessor of these qualities.
   • Just as visible qualities like color indicate the presence of an object, the imperceptible soul is understood through its manifest qualities.
   • The text argues against the body being the "possessor" of knowledge because the body is material and tangible, whereas knowledge is intangible. A tangible entity cannot be the basis for intangible qualities.

8. Soul's Knowledge Through Senses, Not Identical to Senses:

   • The soul gains knowledge of objects through the senses. However, this does not imply the soul is identical to the senses.
   • The analogy of a person retaining knowledge of things seen through windows even after the windows are closed is used. The person (soul) is distinct from the windows (senses).
   • Furthermore, even if senses are present, if the soul's attention is not directed towards an object, no knowledge is gained. Conversely, even if senses are absent (e.g., blindness), prior knowledge remains with the soul. This demonstrates the soul's independence from the senses.

9. Empathy and Coordinated Sensory Action as Proof:

   • Witnessing someone else eat tamarind causes salivation, and hearing someone cry can bring tears. This empathetic response indicates an experiencing entity (the soul) distinct from the physical body.
   • The coordinated use of different senses to achieve a goal (e.g., seeing an object with eyes and then reaching for it with hands) suggests a coordinating agent (the soul) that is separate from the individual senses. The analogy of a person using different windows to call someone illustrates this distinction.
   • The soul is like a sixth entity that perceives all objects, whereas the five senses perceive one object each. The analogy of a master employing different clerks further emphasizes the soul as the controller and distinct from the senses.
   • The soul's direction of the senses is compared to an engine driving train carriages; the engine (soul) is distinct from the carriages (senses).

10. The Concept of Other Souls (Parasharir):

    • If a soul is proven to exist within one's own body, then the observed actions and tendencies in other bodies also point to the presence of souls in them.
    • This establishes the existence of multiple souls. The differences in knowledge and abilities among these souls are attributed to the covering of karmic matter (pudgalik karmavarganã), not their inherent nature.

11. Refuting Materialistic Origins of Life:

    • The text addresses the common misconception that life arises solely from physical combinations like semen and blood, or spontaneous generation in organic matter.
    • Addressing the "whence the soul?" question:
      • The soul does not physically enter or leave the body visibly, just as sound cannot be seen entering or leaving a closed room through a subtle hole. The soul is imperceptible and formless.
      • The analogy of a champak flower's fragrance separating from the flower and mingling with oil, while the flower remains, is used to illustrate the soul's separation from the body.
      • The formation of the body from semen and blood does not preclude the arrival of a soul from another life-cycle (bhavantar). The fact that conception does not occur with every act of intercourse suggests the need for a soul's transmigration at the right moment.
      • Just as a living plant grows with watering while a dry stub does not, the growth of a fetus requires a living soul.
      • The analogy of sandal soles not wearing out when worn by a living person but wearing out quickly when worn by a shoe (inanimate) highlights the inherent vitality of the soul.
      • The argument that the body's destruction means the soul's destruction is rejected because the body itself remains after death.
      • The concept that consciousness ceases when the five elements composing the body degenerate is also countered. The text argues that elements themselves are unconscious and cannot produce consciousness. The analogy of wine's intoxication being dependent on its components is used, but then refuted by pointing out that if the components lack intoxicating elements, the mixture cannot gain intoxication. Moreover, if elements possessed consciousness, heated water in a stove should also become conscious.
      • The explanation that specific, highly subtle air is needed for consciousness is met with the counter-argument that this subtle air is essentially the soul itself.

12. The Continuity of Experience and Previous Births:

    • The progression of knowledge from childhood to youth and old age implies a continuity that can only be explained by previous lives.
    • The innate instincts of newborns, like a calf suckling its mother's teats immediately after birth, are presented as evidence of prior life experience.
    • Newspaper accounts of past-life events and the natural animosity between certain animals (cat and mouse, peacock and serpent) are cited as further proof of transmigration and past-life influences.

13. The Question of Memory and Amnesia:

    • If souls transmigrate, why don't all beings remember their past lives?
    • Reasons for forgetting past lives:
      • Variations in memory retention: Just as some people remember their childhood vividly and others don't, the capacity for retaining past-life memories varies among souls.
      • Intensity of focus: Memories of events with intense focus and contemplation are more likely to be retained, even if they are distant, while trivial events are easily forgotten.
      • Lack of cognitive capacity in the womb: The inability to form deep thoughts in the womb prevents the retention of fetal memories.
      • Interruption and difference between bodies: The gap between leaving one body and inhabiting another, and the differences in the new body, also contribute to memory loss.
      • Influence of body and senses on knowledge: If a soul existed in a non-sentient state (asanygi) in a previous life, no contemplation occurred, making memory recall impossible in the next life.

14. Addressing the "Body is the Soul" Argument with Analogies:

    • The iron box analogy: The argument that a person dying in a sealed box proves the body is the soul is refuted. The sound of a conch shell, though subtle, can escape a sealed box, demonstrating that subtle, imperceptible entities can pass through even without visible holes. The soul, being subtler than sound, can certainly exit without leaving a trace.
    • The weight of the body: The fact that a dying person's body does not immediately lose weight is explained by the analogy of a bag of air. The bag retains its weight even after the air is removed because the air is replaced by something else (in the case of the body, by the subtle soul, which has no weight). The soul's immateriality means its departure doesn't affect physical mass.
    • The dream analogy: The ability to see, hear, smell, and eat in dreams, without using physical senses, is strong evidence for a soul distinct from the body.
    • The "physical combinations" argument: The text asserts that life does not arise from mere physical mixtures but from the soul's transmigration. The complexity of needing a perfectly formed body ready at the exact moment of leaving a previous body is addressed by the Jain concept of "Vigrahagati" (the period of transition between lives), which, while brief, is sufficient for the soul to reach its destined rebirth, especially in the case of instantaneous "Sammurchan" birth.

Conclusion:

"Jivtattva Vivechan" strongly advocates for the Jain perspective that the soul (Jiva) is an eternal, conscious, and distinct entity, separate from the physical body and all matter. It systematically dismantles materialistic arguments by presenting philosophical reasoning, logical deductions, and illustrative analogies to establish the soul's independent existence, its transmigration, and its inherent nature, ultimately pointing towards the path of liberation from the cycle of rebirth.