JIVA

Sanskrit Jiva, according to the Jaina philosophy of India, living substance, or souls, as opposed to ajiva (ajiva), or nonliving substance. Souls are eternal and infinite in number and are not the same as the bodies that they inhabit. In a pure state (mukta-jiva), souls rise to the top of the universe, where they reside with other perfected beings and are never again reborn. Most souls are, however, samsarin, that is, covered with a thin veil of good or bad karma (the effects of past deeds), which is conceived as a kind of matter, accumulated by the emotions in the same way that oil accumulates dust particles. Jivas are divided according to the number of sense organs that they possess. Men, gods, and demons possess the five sense organs plus reason. Even the four elements (earth, air, water, fire) are inhabited by minute clusters of invisible souls, called nigodas. They belong to the lowest class of jiva, possess only the sense of touch, share common functions such as respiration and nutrition, and experience intense pain. The whole space of the world is said to be packed with nigodas. They are the source of souls to take the place of the infinitesimally small number that have until now been able to attain moksha (moksa), or release from the cycle of rebirths.