Moksa (Jainism) Totally Explained

Everything about Moksa Jainism totally explained

(Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mokkha (Prakrit : मोक्ख ) means liberation, salvation or emancipation of soul. It is a blissful state of existence of a soul, completely free from the karmic bondage, free from samsara, the cycle of birth and death. A liberated soul is said to have attained its true and pristine nature of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge and infinite perception. Such a soul is called siddha or paramatman and considered as supreme soul or God. In Jainism, it's the highest and the noblest objective that a soul should strive to achieve. It fact, it's the only objective that a person should have; other objectives are contrary to the true nature of soul. With right faith, knowledge and efforts all souls can attain this state. That is why, Jainism is also known as or the “path to liberation”.

The concept

The concept of, presupposes an existence of infinite eternal souls, who alone are doer, enjoyer and responsible for their action. Thus, all souls are entangled in the mundane worldly activities, bound to karmas since beginningless time and transmigrating and reincarnating from one existence to another. According to Jainism, all souls can bring an end to this repeated cycle of births and deaths and attain liberation, that's .

Description in Jain texts

or -
. (619)}} Uttaradhyana Sutra provides an account of Gautama explaining the meaning of to Kesi a disciple of Parsva.

Bhavyata

However, from the point of view of potentiality of, Jain texts bifurcates the souls in two categories – bhavya and abhavya. Bhavya souls are those souls who have faith in and hence will make some efforts to achieve liberation. This potentiality or quality is called bhavyata. However, bhavyata itself doesn't guarantee, as the soul needs to expend necessary efforts to attain it. On the other hand abhavya souls are those souls who can't attain liberation as they don't have faith in and hence never make any efforts to attain it.

The concept of individuality

Jainism upholds the concept of individuality of souls, even after liberation. There are infinite living beings who have attained moksa and infinite living who have not attained, The soul continues to maintain distinct individuality even after . Hence, there are infinite siddhas or libirated beings existing in eternal infinite bliss.

Siddhasila

According to Jain cosmology, Siddhasila is the place where all the siddhas for example the liberated beings reside. It is at the apex of the universe.

Human Birth

Moksa or liberation can be attained only in the human birth. Even the demi-gods and heavenly beings have to re-incarnate as humans and practice right faith, knowledge and conduct to achieve liberation. According to Jainism, human birth is quite rare and invaluable and hence a man should make his choices wisely.

Milestones towards

A soul is bound by the karmas since beginingless time. The first step to achieve is to inculcate Samyaktva or rational faith or perception.

Samyaktva

According to Jainism, Samyak Darsana (Rational Perception), Samyak Jnana (Rational Knowledge) and Samyak Caritra (Rational Conduct) collectively also known as Ratnatraya or the three Jewels of Jainism constitute true Dharma. According to Umasvati, Samyak Darsana, Jnana Caritra together constitutes marga or the path to liberation.
   Samyak Darsana or rational perception is the rational faith in the true nature of every substances of the universe.
   Samyak Jnana or rational knowledge is the right knowledge of true and relevant knowledge of the reality, the tattvas. It incorporates the two principles of Anekantvada or non-absolutism and Syadvada or relativity of truth. Right knowledge must be free from three main defects: doubt, delusion, and indefiniteness
   Samyak Caritra or rational conduct is the natural conduct of a (soul) living being. It consists in following austerities, engaging in right activities and observance of vows, carefulness and controls. Once a soul secures samyaktva, is assured within a few lifetimes.

Kevala Jnana

Kevala Jñāna, the highest form of transcendental knowledge that a samyakdristi soul can attain, also means “absolute knowledge”, “Enlightement” and “Omniscience” . Kevala is the state of isolation of the jīva from the ajīva attained through ascetic practices which burn off one's karmic residues, releasing one from bondage to the cycle of death and rebirth. Kevala Jñāna, thus means infinite knowledge of self and non-self, attained by a soul after annihilation of the all ghātiyā karmas. Such is person who has attained Kevala Jñāna is called a Kevali. He is also known as Jina (the victor) or Arhat (the worthy one) and worshipped as a god by the Jains. The soul who has reached this stage achieves at the end of his life span, after annihilation of the aghātiyā karmas.

means final release from the karmic bondage. When an enlightened human, such as, an Arhat or a Tirthankara extinguishes his remaining aghatiya karmas and thus ends his worldly existence, it's called . Technically, the death of an Arhat is called of Arhat, as he's ended his wordly existence and attained liberation. Moksa, that's to say, liberation follows . An Arhat becomes a siddha, the liberated one, after attaining nirvana.

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