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Jainism is 鈥�膧迟尘补惫腻诲颈 诲补谤艣补苍补鈥�. It accepts the existence of soul with an inherent capacity to know all things. Knowledge (箩帽腻苍补), according to Jainas, is the soul鈥檚 intrinsic, inseparable and inalienable attribute, without which no soul can exist. 狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补^[1] states鈥撯�榚ven in the state of Nigoda, the lowest possible stage of development, where the karmic veil is thickest, a slight portion of knowledge remains unobscured i.e. possess an infinite part of kevala-箩帽腻苍补. If that also were covered then the soul would become non-intelligent (non-soul) like matter, but such a contingency never arise.

Knowledge and Soul

Gautam sw膩mi asked Lord 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补, 鈥極 Lord! The soul is 箩帽腻苍补 or a箩帽腻苍补?鈥� Lord replied, 鈥極 Gautam! The soul is 箩帽腻苍补 as well as a箩帽腻苍补, but 箩帽腻苍补 is positively soul.^[2] The intrinsic feature of 箩墨惫补 is upayoga (consciousness). This upayoga 肠辞苍蝉迟颈迟耻迟别蝉鈥�箩帽腻苍补 (knowledge) and 诲补谤艣补苍补 (perceptions).^[3] This shows that knowledge is the only factor that distinguishes soul from matter.

In Jaina epistemology, knowledge plays an important role in the conception of soul and its emancipation. Thus, every soul is omniscient as far as its nature is concerned. But its power of knowing is obscured by the karmic matter. Higher the degree of purity by removal of knowledge obscuring karma, higher will be the capacity to know. When the karmic matter is completely overthrown by the practice and observance of different ethical and spiritual methods of purification, the soul vibrates in its natural rhythm and exercises its functions of unlimited knowing. Jaina theory of knowledge becomes vital from the point of Mysticism as it deals with the perfect knowledge or omniscience that is mystical in its nature.

Types of Knowledge

Jaina scriptures admit five kinds of knowledge, they are鈥�

鈥�尘补迟颈艣谤耻迟腻惫补诲丑颈 尘补苍补岣�p补谤测腻测补 办别惫补濒腻苍颈 箩帽腻苍补峁�鈥�.

The varities of knowledge are鈥�

1. Mati (Peruptual knowledge),
2. 艢谤耻迟补 (Verbal knowledge),
3. Avadhi (Clairvoyance),
4. 惭补苍补岣�p补谤测补测补 (Mind reading) and
5. Kevala (Omniscience).

狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补 and 罢补迟迟惫补谤迟丑补蝉奴迟谤补 and other texts, classifies these five kinds of knowledge into 鈥�笔谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥� (direct knowledge) and 鈥�笔补谤辞办峁�a鈥� (indirect knowledge).^[4] The 鈥�笔补谤辞办峁�a鈥� knowledge is cognition which arises from the medium of senses and mind. They are of two types, Mati and 艢谤耻迟补. The 鈥�笔谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥� is cognition which arises from the soul without any external help, i.e. independent of all factors. This knowledge apprehends the objects that are remote, past, future, minute, hidden non-corporal or otherwise non-cognizable through the external senses.^[5] They are of three kinds, namely, avadi, 尘补苍补岣�-辫补谤测补测补 and kevala-箩帽腻苍补.^[6] These three 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a 箩帽腻苍补 are pure, intuitional, extra sensory and are attained as super-natural powers by the mystic aspirant by their spiritual practices, so also called as 鈥�Yogi 辫别谤肠别辫迟颈辞苍鈥�. 狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补 denominates it as 鈥�no indriya 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥�. 膧肠腻谤测补 Jinbhadragani, Akalanka and the latter logicians have named them as 鈥�p膩ram膩rthika 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥� in contrast to the sense-cognition named as 鈥�samvyavaharika 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥�.^[7] The 峁琱腻峁嘺峁�^[8] divides these 鈥�辫谤补迟测补办峁�a鈥� into two, Keval and No Keval; they are also classified as鈥揑ncomplete (vikala) and Complete (sakala) or desa and sarva辫谤补迟测补办峁�a.^[9]

The complete perception is constant and all apprehensive. It apprehends all the objects of universe; present, past and future; subtle or gross; material or immaterial with same cognition without any break or obstruction. The incomplete perception is not constant. It occurs when and where the attention is paid. It is also limited in scope.^[10] Thus sakala 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a is the form of absolute mystical experience and the vikala 辫谤补迟测补办峁�a is the form of relative or lower mystical experiences. As the knowledge cognises the transcendental objects directly by the soul, as its natural quality, it is also known as transcendental perception or mystical perception. Both Mati and 艢谤耻迟补 箩帽腻苍补 can know both visible as well as invisible substances. The only limitation is that they cannot know all the modes of substances. They also don鈥檛 have the capacity to know substances simultaneously and directly. Both the knowledge is not mystical. 艢谤耻迟补-箩帽腻苍补 is supportive for the attainment of mystical experience. All the three 笔谤补迟测补办峁�a 箩帽腻苍补 are the planes of supernormal consciousness. They are mystical in nature. Here we are concerned with these extra-ordinary perception.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补, verse 71.

[2]:

Bhagava墨 (Part 3), 12.206.

[3]:

鲍迟迟补谤补箩箩丑补测补峁嚹佱箛颈, 28.10

[4]:

狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补, Verse 3, 鈥�Ta峁� sam膩sao 诲耻惫颈丑补峁� pan虈蹋峁嘺ta峁�, ta峁� jah膩paccakkham虓 ca 辫补谤辞办办丑补峁�鈥�; 罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补 厂奴迟谤补, 1.9-12.

[5]:

Shastri, Indra Chandra, Jaina Epistemology, P. V. Research Institute, Varanasi, 1990, p. 317.

[6]:

狈补苍诲墨 厂奴迟谤补, Verse 6; 鈥�ohin膩峁嘺paccokkham虓 ma峁嘺pajjavan膩峁嘺paccakkham虓 kevaln膩峁嘺paccakkha峁�鈥�

[7]:

Vi艣e峁Ｄ乿a艣yaka Bh膩峁�ya (Part 1), 95.

[8]:

峁琱腻峁嘺峁�, 2.87

[9]:

罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补vartika峁� (Part 1), 1.20.15

[10]:

Jaina Epistemology, p. 322.