Once the soul is completely free from the disturbing influx of matter it is able to know everything in the present, past and future. If it is infected by Karma, this absolute knowledge disappears. The matter conceals the omniscience of the soul like a thick veil of cloud concealing the light of the sun. But likewise, although the sun is concealed, its light breaks through the cloud; a portion of the epistemological capacity of the soul is preserved. If it were to lose it, it would no more be soul. This portion of knowledge is of different sizes among different beings. Among few, it is extremely significant: they are able to know the absent things and even the thought of others with the help of transcendental perception; it is only negligible among the most, because they can perceive only with the help of organs of sense.
Jain Philosophy says that "seeing" and "knowing" don`t appear at the same time among the souls wandering in Samsara; the former precedes the latter, but among the redeemed, omniscient, both go together.
"Seeing" occurs in 4 types:
1. Chaksur-darsana is seeing that is obtained by the eye; this is in accordance with nature for the beings which have an organ of seeing.
2. Achaksur-darsana is "seeing" that is obtained by one of the remaining four senses or by the organ of thinking. This occurs in this or the other form among all Jivas.
3. Avadhi-darsana is super sensual "seeing of material things. This occurs on its own without the meditation of material organs. It is inborn to gods and the being from hell, but can happen for the development of rational animals and human beings as a consequence of higher spiritual development.
4. Kevala-darsana is unrestricted, direct and absolute "seeing" of the omniscient (Kevali); it appears only when all karmas concealing the "seeing" is completely wiped out.
There are five types of Jnana, knowledge, which is formally determined:
(1) Mati-jaina is the knowledge obtained with the help of five senses and the organ of thinking.
(2) Sruta-jnana is the knowledge which is based on the interpretation of signs, i.e the understanding of words, writings, gestures, etc.
(3) Avadhi-jnana is the transcendent knowledge of material things without the mediation of the organs of sense. This is inborn to gods and beings from hell; others obtain it (like the corresponding type of "seeing") with the help of higher perfection.
(4) Manah-paryaya-jnana is the transcendent knowledge of the thoughts of others without the mediation of the corporeal organs. Only human beings possess it, and they obtain it by dint of their higher perfection.
(5) Kevala-Jnana is unrestricted, direct and absolute omniscience. It is peculiar only to the perfect ones.
The last two mentioned types of knowledge are present only among human beings having proper belief. The other three types of knowledge can also occur among those who do not believe. But since knowledge is bad, as long as it does not come from proper belief, because the Unbeliever "understands the "sat" and "asat" without distinction and arbitrarily, his knowledge is called Ajnana, bad knowledge, ignorance".
It has been said in the Jain Philosophy that 1 to 3 of the 4 types of "seeing" and 1 to 4 of the 8 types of Jnana occur among worldly souls. But the perfect ones (Kevali) have only Kevala-jnana and kevala darsana; this may be so because in both of these all types of seeing and knowledge are implicitly present- just as in the possession of a village, possession of its ground and land is also included, or it may be so because the absolute knowledge outshines all partial knowledge so that the latter are not noticed like the stars at the time of the sunrise understanding of words, writings, gestures, etc.
