Does liberation mean not feeling joy?
No. In Jainism, liberation (moksha) is not about eliminating all feelings or joy. It is the soul’s release from all karmic bondage and the attainment of eternal, pure bliss (anant sukha) along with infinite knowledge and perception.
Key points:
- Moksha means the end of repeated births and deaths, and the cessation of karmic bonds that distort the true nature of the soul.
- The liberated soul experiences permanent, unconditioned happiness and clarity, not the transient pleasures of worldly joys.
- This ultimate state is described as infinite bliss, knowledge, and perception (often summarized as siddha-jnana, kevala jnana, etc.).
- There is no essential difference in this understanding between Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions; both treat moksha as the soul’s complete freedom from karma and a state of profound, lasting bliss.
If you’d like, I can provide a simple quote from Jain scriptures that describes moksha and its nature, or explain how different Jain texts describe the qualities of a siddha.