Jain dharma says the soul (jīva) is eternal and beginningless. It has no origin in the sense of a first creation. What happens is that a jīva gets bound by karmic matter (karma) through its actions, thoughts, and feelings, causing rebirths in many forms. The goal is to stop new karmas (saṃvara) and shed the already bound karmas (nirjarā) to attain liberation (mokṣa), after which the soul remains pure and free in siddha form.

Key points:

• The soul is a real, conscious substance that is eternal and separate from the body.
• Birth, life, and death are part of a continuous cycle (saṃsāra) driven by karma.
• There is no creator god who gives origin to the soul; liberation comes from purifying and shedding karma.

Note: Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions affirm the soul’s beginingless nature; there are differences only in the detailed list of tattvas (truths) and some interpretive nuances, not in the fundamental origin of the soul.