Soul looks like
In Jainism, the soul (jiva) does not have a fixed physical appearance. It is pure consciousness, a living, aware principle that is formless and invisible to ordinary senses.
- In its pure state, the jiva is infinite knowledge, infinite perception, and infinite bliss (kevala jnana when liberated).
- In the world, a jiva is enclosed by karmic particles and takes the form of the living being it inhabits (human, animal, plant, or micro beings). So, the outward “look” you see depends on the body the soul has attached to; the soul itself remains non-material.
- Some scriptures describe the soul as a tiny spark or flame of consciousness, but this is a metaphor to convey its pure, luminous nature, not a literal physical form.
- Both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions agree on the non-physical essence of jiva; any differences are about interpretation of karmic bondage and liberation, not about the fundamental appearance of the soul.
If you’d like, I can share a succinct verse (arth) from Jain texts that describes the nature of jiva and its liberation.