________________
Istopadeśa - The Golden Discourse
consciousness level is so low that to many these beings may seem to be lifeless. The Omniscients and the liberated souls possess the highest degree of consciousness. In between these two extremes, there are jīvas having senses from two to five, such as the worm, the ant, the bee, and the man, each manifesting successively higher degree of consciousness.
Ācārya Kundakunda’s Samayasāra explains beautifully the difference between the Self and the non-self:
(1-20-20)
अहमेदं एदमहं अहमेदस्सेव होमि मम एदं । अण्णं जं परदव्वं सच्चित्ताचित्तमिस्सं वा ॥ आसि मम पुव्वमेदं अहमेदं चावि पुव्वकालम्हि । होहिदि पुणो वि मझं अहमेदं चावि होस्सामि ॥ एवं तु असंभूदं आदवियप्पं करेदि संमूढो। भूदत्थं जाणंतो ण करेदि दु तं असंमूढो ॥
(1-21-21)
(1-22-22)
One who erroneously considers any alien objects such as an animate being (wife, son), an inanimate thing (riches such as gold and silver), and mixed animate-inanimate object (land, cattle) as 'I am this substance,' or 'It is I,' or 'I am its,' or 'It is mine,' or 'It was mine in the past,' or 'I was identical to it in the past,' or 'It shall be mine in future also,' and 'I shall also be like it in future,' has only superficial awareness (bahirātmā). But one who understands the real nature of the Self does not entertain such erroneous notions and, therefore, possesses intimate knowledge (antarātmā).
अण्णाणमोहिदमदी मज्झमिणं भणदि पोंग्गलं दव्वं । बद्धमबद्धं च तहा जीवो बहुभावसंजुत्तो ॥
(1-23-23)
30
