Answer

In Jainism, the self is called Jiva or Atma. It is the living, conscious soul. Jain Dharma teaches that every living being has a soul, and the true nature of the soul is:

• Consciousness
• Knowledge
• Perception
• Bliss
• Energy

The soul is eternal, but it becomes bound by karma due to passions such as anger, ego, deceit, greed, attachment, and aversion.

Explanation

Jainism explains reality through two broad categories:

• Jiva — living substance, the soul
• Ajiva — non-living substances, such as matter, space, time, motion, and rest

The self belongs to the category of Jiva. It is not the body, not the mind, and not emotions. The body is temporary, but the soul is eternal.

Because of karma, the soul takes different births in different forms such as human beings, animals, heavenly beings, or hellish beings. This cycle of birth and death is called samsara.

The soul becomes spiritually pure when it removes karmic bondage through:

• Right Faith
• Right Knowledge
• Right Conduct
• Non-violence
• Self-discipline
• Meditation
• Detachment

When all karmas are completely destroyed, the soul attains moksha, or liberation.

Spiritual Understanding

Jainism teaches that the real self is already pure, peaceful, and full of knowledge. But this pure nature is covered by karma, like dust covering a mirror.

Spiritual practice is the process of removing this covering so the soul’s true nature can shine.

This understanding helps a person live with:

• Compassion toward all living beings
• Responsibility for one’s own actions
• Detachment from temporary pleasures
• Awareness of the soul’s higher purpose

Takeaway

In Jainism, the self is the eternal soul. It is pure by nature, but bound by karma. The purpose of life is to realize the true self, remove karmic bondage, and attain liberation.