September 18, 2012
Lec 1
Contrasting Conceptions of “soul”
Why different religions deal with the concept of the “soul”?
What is a “soul”?
o -although we know that death is inevitable, some still believe in life after death
o -death becomes a haunting experience
o -if nothing exists after death, most people would not care about living an ethical life
o -they do this because of the idea of an higher life
o -the soul is something that animates us
We will explore how Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism understand the nature of the human soul
differently.
(for Hinduism, study the assigned reading posted on Blackboard)
Janisim
The “soul” (jiva) is eternal, therefore “life” is a manifestation of soul in an infinite number of
forms
o Principle that is life long
Soul transmigrates from the lowest forms of being through successive stages to the highest
forms of life
o Indians believe that there is continus existence after death, in many different forms
(reincarnated)
o Idea that death is not the end
As a result, the task of the soul is to avoid slipping back into the lower spheres
o if you are a moral and a responsible person you can obtain a better life around
o -though the system you are given the meaning of life, which is to be a morally
responsible person so later one will not reincarnated to a lower sphere of life
The Jain soul strives daily to overcome the karma that holds it back from ascending to the
summit of the universe (the abode of perfect and eternal bliss)
To attain this state is moksa, or liberation from the round of births and deaths
o Liberation- if you are able to attain to liberate the soul, it enables freedom of the soul
(eternal bliss)
o Kind of a promise to the follower to become diligent in their practice
Hence, ethical living is the best means of escaping the cycle of rebirth
o Eternal bliss is seen as the ultimate experience in reality
o One has to free oneself from the bondage of karma
Materialism is the source of “evil”
Perfect knowledge or omniscience is a property of the soul in its liberated state
o Soul of liberated state is said to be known of everything (perfect knowledge)
o Also known itself entirely
Possible only after the purging of all karma
Karmic particles present obstacles that limit the soul’s potential to achieve perfect knowledge
Knowledge is considered self-luminous, just as a lamp reveals not only external objects but itself
as well o Only though wisdom one comes to realize the answers to questions of life
Right knowledge is classified into five kinds:
1) ordinary cognition which is acquired directly from sense organs
2) knowledge acquired indirectly by the sense organs, such as study knowledge or scriptural
knowledge ex. Smoke coming from a house, you guess there could be a fire)
o Abstract way of thinking
3) extra-ordinary knowledge, which is a limited higher knowledge acquired when a certain
success is achieved in removing obstructive karma (partial liberation)
o Ex. Psychic, ability to foretell what is going to happen
4) Mental knowledge or telepathy (knowing the thoughts of others), attained by masters of self-
control who have restrained the body, mind and speech
o People who are able to tell what others are thinking
5) Perfect knowledge, possessed only those who have eliminated all karma, the state of
omniscience
The theory of relative judgment: the universe is extremely indeterminate, it can be looked at
from numerous points of view
o Cannot pin point about how the universe is like
o Suggests that we should open our mind and not confine our self to single concepts and
ideas
o By doing so one can free themselves from Karma
They illustrate this position by means of the parable that a number of blind people examining an
elephant, with one holding a ear, another the tail, the trunk, etc. They arrive at different
conclusions regarding its shape; each, however, is expressing a truth about the whole.
The reality is so complex that while everyone is correct from his/her own view, none is
completely so
o Must be experienced rather than being told what it is
Karma
An important sister doctrine of soul and transmigration
o Inner being- presence of something inside you, that you would identify as yourself
Feeling of existence, could be a trans state of experience (meditating not
acknowledging the physical world)
Sort of inner reflection of oneself
After inner experience of inner feeling, one theorizes their experience
o Ian Stevenson- scientist, studies reincarnation in a scientific way. Reported 20 cases
without any suggestions except reincarnation
o Karma and reincarnation goes hand in hand
o Karma- means action, no spiritual attachment
o Indian religion, every action has a reaction, whatever you do, you expect a reaction
Many
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