Answer

In Jain Dharma, the soul is called Jīva.

The soul is a living, conscious substance. It is the real self — the one that knows, sees, feels, experiences, and acts.

It is different from the body, mind, speech, and material things.

Explanation

According to Jain philosophy, reality is made of living and non-living substances. The soul belongs to the category of Jīva, meaning living substance.

The soul has these essential qualities:

• Consciousness — ability to know and perceive
• Knowledge — capacity to understand
• Perception — awareness
• Bliss — its pure natural happiness
• Energy — spiritual strength or capacity

In its pure state, the soul has infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, and infinite energy.

But in worldly existence, the soul is covered by karma, so its true qualities are obscured.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma teaches that:

• You are not merely the body.
• You are not merely thoughts or emotions.
• Your true nature is the soul — conscious, pure, and capable of liberation.

Because of attachment, anger, pride, deceit, greed, and other passions, the soul attracts karma. Through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, the soul can remove karmic bondage and attain moksha, liberation.

Takeaway

The soul is the true conscious self. In Jain Dharma, spiritual practice means realizing the soul’s pure nature and freeing it from karma.