Human Nature and Destiny in Jainism

Author(s): Basistha Narayan Tripathi
Publisher: Z_Anandrushi_Abhinandan_Granth_012013.pdf
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/250119/1

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[ Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi, M.A., D.Phil. [U. G. C. Senior Fellow, Deptt. of Philosophy, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi ) CEL. Human Nature and Destiny in Jainism In the course of evolution, life emerges out of matter. Man, as spirit, as the highest self-conscious, rules the universe with the aid of Karma. "Life becomes what is does." There, in five words, is the essence of the law. It follows that human history, from one point of view, is nothing but a record of the Karma of Humanity, working itself out according to the good or evil of our rational, national and personal deeds. Karma neither rewards nor punishes : it only restores lost harmony. He who suffers deserves suffering, and he who has reason to rejoice is reaping where he has caused it, there is no excuse for callous indifference to their suffering, by those more 'fortunate. Once the law of Karma is understood, it will be seen that there is no such thing as luck, good or bad, but the subsequents follow antecedents by a bond of inner consequence, it is not merely numerical sequence of arbitrary and isolated units but a rational interconnection. Nor is the doctrine of Karma equivalent to the doctrine of Predestination or Determinism, still less is it Fatalism. The latter implies a blind course of some still blinder power, but man is a free agent during his stay on earth, free i. e., within the working of the Law. For, viewed from one life, the 'operative Karma of life' is equivalent to the Greek Nemesis or Destiny. But this destiny is not the decree of a wrathful God but the product of Man's imagining. Esoterically, from the spiritual point of view, Karma is the law of moral retribution, whereby not only does every cause have an effect; but he who puts the cause in action suffers the effect. To all intents and purposes, this is a very knotty subject puzzling the best intellectuals from time immemorial. One school of thought contends that there is no scope for free will and everything happens according to plan ; another school contends that there is no scope for Destiny (Prarabdha) and everything happens according to one's own exertions, while a third school contends that both destiny and free will work side by side in human activities. In the midst of these conflicting theories, it becomes very difficult for an ordinary person to have a clear idea of the subject to help him conduct himself in the given environment. In the context of freedom and spiritual 12 lec Buuidgaz H Hidega 26379 NS-Tote 51803151219 3707

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JAAAAA AAALALA dh hyl` hw mT```````````````````` mrh gulz9228 29 3idizf922A JAM N O 316&1913The 5T1242 24 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi, M.A., D. Phil. Nurgave discipline, the entire range of Indian thought can be classified under three main heads : (1) There were thinkers who did not accept freedom or antonomy of spirit in any form. The Charvaka denied the existence of the individual self apart from the physical body and rediculed the very notion of salvation. As a piece of nature and constituted by a conglomeration of natural ingredients, conscious or man, can have on value other than gross bodily pleasures. The question of freedom does not arise. This theory culminates in a rigorous form of determinism (Niyativada) and has been condemned as pernicious and inimical to the spiritual life. (2) There were philosophers and religious man, such as Buddha and Mahavira, who accepted what we might call immanent freedom as felt and exercised in human environment. Every man's suffering is evidence of this freedom. The Budha, took his stand, like Kant, on the moral act, the immanent freedom implicit in man's endeavour to better his condition. The emphasis is on our self-effort and right exercise of one's volition. The Mahavira as well as Buddha were led to deny two opposed standpoints ; one was naturalism (Svabhava-vada) or nihilism (uccheda-vada), which totally denied, as is done by the Charvaka or Ajivikas, the Moral Law (free act and its results, Karma and Karma-phala), and reduced man to a fortuitous coglomeration of natural forces; the other opposed standpoint was that of eternalism (Sasvatavada), which stood for the transcendent freedom of God (and even of an unchanging soul or atman), who is above the moral law (Karma). The Buddha characterised both uccheda-vada and sasvata-vada as specimens of inactivism (akriyavada). (3) The third class is represented by the Hindu (Brahmanical) which is some form or other accepted a free, transcendent Being (God) besides the finite selves. It is not that this free being achieved his freedom after destroying his previous bondgge, but he is eternally free (Sadaiva-muktah) and transcendent (Sadaiva-Isvarah). If for Jainism and Buddhism the fundamental is the moral consciousness and the spiritual urge for purifying the mind of its passions, the fundamental of Hinduism is God-consciousness, and the God is exaltation and deitification. The Vedas which are the fountain source of all form of Hinduism, are intoxicated with the idea of God, of a transcendent Being, ever free and ever Lord. Religion, for them was not laboured suppression of passion, of control and regiment as Buddhism, but a relationship with the transcendent through prayer and devotion. According to the Jain philosophy, the jiva or the living individual is cetana (conscious), pure and perfect. "What knows and perceives the various objects, desires, pleasures, and dreads, pains acts beneficially or harmfully and experiences the fruits thereof that is Jiva".! The soul is associated with various kinds of Karmas. The Karmas obstruct the various capacities of the soul and keep it tied to the wheel of wordly existence. The soul loses its luminosity due to its contact with Karmic matter. From the empirical standpoint it comes

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Human Nature and Destiny in Jainism 25 to possess passion (Kasayas) due to the influence of nescience (avidya) which is as much beginningless, as the Jiva itself. Both jiva and avidya, being beginningless, it is not easy to say when the jiva came in contact with avidya. In fact, their contact is also beginningless. So, due to the influence of passions, the jiva gives up its intrinsic nature and falls into bondage. These passions are supported by what is known as 'Yoga', that is, the vibrations or activities of body, of speech and of manas. In fact, these two, that is Kasaya and Yoga, are regarded as the main causes of bondages.2 "Now the principle of Bandha or bondage", says a Digamabara Jain, Mr. Lathe,"is defined as the mutual entrance into each other's spheres of the soul and the Karman. When the soul is attached by the passions like anger and love, it takes on the Pudagal (material) particles fit for the bondage of the Karmas, just as a heated iron ball takes up water-particles in which it is immersed. This is bondage of the Karma." Being associated with attachment and aversion, the Jiva takes in such Pudagalas as are capable of producing Karman. This taking in of the Karman is bondage. The Siva is intrinsically formless (amurta), but due to its connection with Kasaya and Karman from time immemorial, it appears murta (with form) and so, it takes in only murta-karma-Pudagalas, and those very karmaPudagalas appear as Karmans later on. This is what is called 'bondage.' Kundakunda says that Mithyatva (perversity), ajnana (nescience), and avirati (intense attachment) are the three beginningless forms of the consciousness informed with moha. According to Nemicandra it is of five kinds: (1) Ekanta, (2) Viparita, (3) Vinaya, (4) Samsaya, (5) Ajnana. The fourth Karmagrantha, however, notices these five varieties : (1) abhigrahika, (2) anabhigrahika. (3) abhinivesika, (4) sanisayika, and (5) apabhoga. Attachment to a view inspite of the knowledge that it is wrong is abhinivesika. To keep a doubtful attitude even towards what is wellestablished is sanisayika. What is due to the incapacity of the mind to think and is found in such organisms as have not developed all the sense-organs is anabhogamithyadarsana.6 Mithyadarsana' (perverse view) lies at the root of all evils, and whatever misery there is in the life of a soul is ultimately due to it.? Dr. Tatia rightly observes thus, "It is the darkest period of a soul's life when there is unhindered working of this mithyatva. The soul gropes in the darkness, formulates wrong views about truth, and trades upon many a path, none leading to the region of light. The mithyatvakarman lies heavy on it, it blockades all paths leading to light. Saniyaktva or samyaka-darsana dawn only when the potency of this mithyatvakarma is reduced and made ineffective to an appreciable extent in course of time naturally or due to the influence of the instructions of persons who know the truth." The next kind of bondage is Avirati, meaning non-abstinence or lack of control against dosas. It is also of five kinds-(1) Himsa (injury), (2) Ansta (falsehood), (3) Caurya (stealing), (4) Abrahm incontinence) and (5) Pariagraha (attachment towards a thing which has not been given to him). From a different standpoint these are forty-two varieties of this cause of bondage. U LAARNAALAAAAAAAAAAAAxue S AJARA ALAN AN KALAU ADINAMA sua vidi

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AADHAAA A ALAARAAAAAAA giud922 31 Rosa Or SICERY ST2N3116GBey Stage 26 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi The third cause of bondage is 'Pramada'. This is of fifteen kinds. They tend towards giving pleasures and pains etc. 10 It is not easy to give a clear-cut analysis of all the peculiarities which Jiva possesses after coming in the grip of karma-Pudagalas, because of their subtle nature, but even then they have been somehow classified under eight heads : (1) Jnanavarniya, (2) Darsanavarniya, (3) Vedaniya, (4) Mohaniya, (5) Ayusabandha, (6) Namabandha, (7) Gotrabandha, and (8) Antarabandha. Besides this, there are ninety-seven divisions and sub-divisions of these, mentioned in Tattvarthasutra. 11 The flowing of the karma-Pudagalas into the Jiva, through the activities of body, speech, and manas is called in Jainism, 'Asrava'. 12 Asrava may be said to be something like a hole, a means, through which, for instance, water flows into the boat on the river, Dravyasangraha presents an elaborate divisions and sub-divisions of Asravas.13 Further on, we can also classify the causes of bondage into-these three, in general, viz., Mithyadarsana (perverse view), mithya-jnana (perverse knowledge) and mithya-carita (perverse-conduct). The man lies bound in the grip of these three perverted states. In other words, emancipation is possible only on the removal of these three bonds. Clarifying the reason why the selfsome mati-jnana, Srcuti-jnana and avadhi-jnana become matya-ajnana, sruta-ajnana and avadhya-ajnana (or vibhanga) Umasvati says: "These (mati, sruti and avadhi), when informed with mithya-darsana (wrong attitude) comprehend the thing as it is not, and thus are ajnana (wrong cognition)."}4 According to Jainism, like other system of Indian philosophy, the aim of life is to get freedom from bondage, to get bliss from sorrow. But so long as the Jiva remains in the grip of worldly entanglements final release is not possible. Hence, it is, most essential to have a check upon the flux of karman and its causes into jiva. The stoppage of the flux of karma is called samvara. Like Asrava, first there is the checking of the modifications in the form of attachment, hatred and delusion of the Jiva. This is called "Bhava-samvara'. In this purified state, we witness 'Bhava-punyasamvara', when the auspicious bhavas are stopped to function, and 'Bhava-papa-samvara' when the inauspicious bhavas have been stopped to produce any change in the nature of the jiva. In this way, when the actual flow of the karmic-Pudagalas into the jiva through the channel of 'Yoga' or sense-organs is stopped, it is called 'Dravyasamvara'.16 Samvara plays important role in the scheme of Jain ethics. It shows the means to realise liberation. Now the next but the most essential step towards the attainment of liberation is to destroy the Pudagalas which have already entered into the Jivas. This is obtained through what is called 'Nirjara', meaning, the destruction of Karman. Kundakunda says: "He who is equipped with 'Samvara' and meditates upon the real nature of the Atman after having cut off all his thoughts from the outside world, casts off all the dust of Karman acquired by him before."'16 This is the stage of sound meditation and serious reflection. "At this stage, in the progress of the Jiva towards the attainment, in him there

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Human Nature and Destiny in Jainism 27 LE HHH flares up a fire of meditation which burns the auspicious and inauspicious Karmans. While in meditation, the ascetic should have his firm activites of consciousness diverted towards the pure nature of the Atman.'? Ethics and mataphysics go band in hand. They are inseparably connected. In other words, it can be said that one is complement to other. Here a question arises. Is it possible to get freedom only through knowledge ? Or is it not possible to be free from worldly obstacles by performing ethical doctrines ? Jain thinkers have solved this problem patiently and sympathetically. Dr. Tatia observes: "The Jaina philosophers gave much importance to carita (conduct) as to jnana (knowledge) and darsana (predilection for truth). If Samyaka-darsana turns the soul in the right direction and samyaka-jnana illumines the path, samyaka-carita (right conduct or rectified will) leads to the goal."18 Jain thinkers have unshakable confidence in gradual enlightenment and spiritual uplift. So long as the Jiva is bound by karma, it can never attain complete deliverance; but they hold that there are fourteen leaders which lie in the way of liberation, by which the Jiva may mount to Moksa. In other words, these are the stages of spiritual development of aspirant. These are : (1) Mithyadsstigunasthana, (2) Sasvadana Saryagdysti, (3) Samyagmithyadisti, (4) Aviratisamyagdisti, (5) Desvrata or samyogdrsti, (6) Pramattaguna sthava, (7) Apramattagunasthana, (8) Niyatibadra or Apurvakarna, (9) Anivsttibadarasamparaya, (10) Suksamasamparaya, (11) Upasantamoha, (12) Ksinakasaya, (13) Sanyagkevaligunasthana, and (14) Ayogikevaligunasthana. The ethical background of Jainism is by all means serious and practicable which deserves our attention. The essential characteristic of a jiva is consciousness, purity and bliss but through the beginningless chain of karma, bondage is there and the jivas enjoy weal (Punya) or woe (papa). Punya is produced by our auspicious bhavas (activities). The auspicious bhavas are said to consist of freedom from delusion, acquirement of right faith and knowledge, practice of reverence, observance of the five vows, etc. The manifestation of punya consists in satavedaniya (feeling of pleasure), subha-ayus (auspicious life), subha-naman (auspicious physique) and subha-gotra (auspicious heredity).19 Papa is produced by inauspicious bhavas. These bhavas consist of delusion, wrong faith and knowledge, violence, falsity, stealing, greed etc. The manifestation of papa consists in asat-vedaniya (feeling of pain), asubhaayus (inauspicious life), asubha-naman (inauspicious body) and asubha-gotia (inauspicious heredity).20 It has been observed by Umasvati that punya and papa are nothing but the auspicious and inauspicious influx of Karmas.21 The essence of religion lies in the immediate experience of the divine. This experience presupposes as its essential condition, various forms of discipline. In the sphere of religion, yoga-sadhana (spiritual discipline) leads to the attainment of the spiritual experience which is regarded as the summum AB HOOT SA Jan pu APARAAAALAU PA N AMAANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALAAAA viurdiaB31HERREN ST. idi9220 A aigizga2 13TECER 31693992

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NA dif9a331 disgaz. 316175 SIBANERY ST&.92973/1015 Eely 51&2 On 28 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi bonum (the highest good or siddhi ; i. e., couplition and perfection) of existence. Sadhana includes all the religions practices and ceremonies that are helpful to the realisation of the spiritual experience, and therefore may be regarded as the practical side of religion. A men's value in the sphere of religion is always judged by the quality and the intensity of his religions experience, and the utility of the manifold practices always consists in their leading up to and helping the energence of the spiritual experience. This is why the moral life is the indispensable preliminary discipline to the religions, and this is the central teaching of all forms of Sadhana in Jainism. Sadhana really begins with purificatory discipline. The awakening of the higher self, the flashing of the divine spark in man, forms the initial step in the course of Sadhana. Jainism, like the other systems of Indian thought, attaches supreme importance to dhyana (concentration of mind) as a means to spiritual realisation. Along with its purification, the soul develops the capacity for self-concentration. Acharya Kundakunda and, following him, pujapada and Yogindudeva have very thoroughly discussed this method of self-realisation in their respective works viz., Moksaprabhsta, Samadhitantra and Parmatmaprakasa. They distinguish three states of self, viz. the exterior self (bahiratman), the interior self (entaratman), and the transcendent self (paramatman). The Jaina thinkers define dhyana as 'the concentration of the thought on a particular object."22 The mind is capable of the threefold functions of concentration (bhavana), contemplation (anupreksa), and thought (cinta). Dhyana is broadly classified into two categories viz., inauspicious or evil (aprasasta) and auspicious or good (prasasta). What leads to the inflow and bondage of bad karmic matter is inauspicious concentration, and what leads to the dissociation or destruction of karmic matter is auspicious concentration. The second category of Dhyana is divided into two types viz., dharmadhyana and sukla-dhyana. (A) Dharma-dhyana : The sthanangasutra expounds dharma-dhyana in these four-fold aspects viz. (1) its objects, (2) the signs (laksana) of a soul possessed of this dhyana, (3) its conditions (alambana), and (4) its afterthoughts.23 The immaculate and infalliable nature of the revelation (ajna), the fact of universal suffering (apaya) and its conditions, the nature of the fruition (vipaka) of various karmans, and the structure (samsthana) of the universe are the four objects of the dharma-dhayana. The concentration of thought on account of the meditation (vicaya) on these objects is called dharma-dhyana. The characteristic sign of a soul capable of this type of concentration is its natural love for and faith in the path it has selected to tread upon and the system of thought which it has been initiated in. Exposition (vacana), critical inquiry (pratipracchana), repeated study (parivartena), and reflection (anupreksa) are the conditions that lead to such concentration of mind. The mind muses upon the following subjects when it retires to the normal state after the concentration : the loneliness of the self in its wanderings, the reflecting nature of the wordly things, the absence of spiritual well-being in the world of morality, and the nature of the world as an endless motion (samsara). Jinbhadra expounds this dhyana from a few other stand

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Human Nature and Destiny in Jainism 29 SA AAN points as well. Thus, for instance, he states the four prerequisite practices : (1) the regular study (jnana) for the achievement of steadiness and purification of the mind, (2) the purification of the attitude (darsana) for the sake of removing the delusion (moha), (3) the right conduct (caritra) for the purpose of stopping the inflow of new karmic matter and the destruction of the accumulated one, and (4) non-attachment (vairagya) for acquiring steadfastness-for qualifying oneself for dharma-dhyana.25 Umasvati defines dharmadhyana as the collection of scattered thought (smrti-samanvahara,26 literally collection of the memory) for the sake of meditation upon the revelation, suffering, karmic fruition, and the structure of the universe 27 Subhacapdra prescribes the practice of fourfold virtues of maitri (friendship with the creatures), pramoda (appreciation of the merits of others), Karuna (compassion and sympathy), and madhyasthya (indifference for the untruely) as the pre-requisite condition of dharmaedhyana.28 The slumber of delusion disappears and the quiescence of ecstasy (Yoga) sets in, and finally the truth reveals itself, when one has perfectly practised these virtues.29 As regards the selection of a proper place, it is held that one should be very careful about it, and avoid the bad place.30 Acharya Hemcandra presents a glorious record of Yoga. Yoga, according to him, is the cause of final emancipation and consists in the threefold jewels of right knowledge, right attitude and right conduct.31 Hemcandra has elaborately discussed the nature of right conduct.32 He says that it is the self of the ascetic that is right knowledge, right attitude and right, conduct. They are nothing but the comprehension of the self in the self, by the self on account of the disappearance of the eternal delusion. Conse quently, the emancipation is nothing but the conquest of the passions and the senses. Now let us consider the state of Sukla-dhyan. In brief, forbearance, humility, straight forwardness, and freedom from greed are the conditions of the Sukladhyana.35 In the dharma-dhyana, the mind concentrates upon the general features of worldly existence. But in the Sukla-dhyana, the mind gradually shortens its field of concentration. The mind now concentrates upon atom and becomes steady and motionless. And on the attainment of omniscience, the functions of mind are completely annihilated.36 Acarya Hemcandra has presented satisfactory accounts in the field of yoga by his works named Yogabindu and Yogadsstisamuccaya, According to him, all spiritual and religious activities that lead towards final emancipation are considered as Yoga. Besides this, he pays special attention in his Yogavinsika, to these five kinds of activities. (1) practice of proper posture (sthana), (2) correct utterance of sound (urna), (3) proper understanding of the meeting (artha), (4) concentration of the image of a tirthankara in his full glory (alambana), and (5) concentration on his abstract attributes (analambana). Of these five, the first two constitute external spiritual activity (karmayoga) and the last three internal spiritual activity (jnanayoga).37 These activities can be properly practised only by those individuals who have attained to the fifth or a still higher stage of spiritual development (gunasthana). Haribhadra says wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Jurid2 Buyigaz DIENSTERY 5762T003512195123360

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AAAAAAANSER NAMA ALAMA NASASAADA Bunga BA 35 vulgaz 37EUR 6292 Is O SLI aart wy M 30 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi SE4 that there are some primary defects of the mind which are to be removed before practising the yogic processes. He enumerates them as eight viz., inertia (kheda), anxiety (udvega), unsteadiness (ksepa), distraction (utthana), lapse of memory (bharanti), attraction for something else (anyamud), mental disturbance (ruk), and attachment (asanga).38 The mind of a yogin should always be free from these defects. He then asks the enquirers to keep thin minds open and investigate the truth with perfect detachment and freedom from prejudices. He suggests eight virtues thus : freedom from prejudice (advesa), inquisitiveness (jijnasa), love for listening (susrusa), attentive hearing (sravana), comprehension (bodha), critical valuation (mimamsa), clear conviction (parisuddhapratipatti), and earnest practice (pravstti) for self-realisation.39 Furthermore, Haribhadra lays down these five steps as a complete course of Yoga : adhyatma or contemplation of truth accompanied by moral conduct, bhavana or repeated practice in the contemplation accompanied by the steadfastness of the mind, dhyana or concentration of the mind, samata or equainimity, and vittisarksaya or the annihilation of all the traces of karman.40 Haribhadra, in his famous work entitled yogadestisamuccaya, distinguishes eight stages of Yogic development. The soul undergoes gradual purification and along with the purification its drsti (love of truth) becomes progressively steady and reaches consummation in the realisation of the truth. These stages are mitra, tara, bala, dipra, sthira, kanta, prabha, and para.41 Prof. Radhakrishnan observes that the ethical system of the Jainas is more rigorous than that of the Buddhists. It looks upon patience as the highest good and pleasure as a source of sin.43 Man should attempt to be indifferent to pleasure and pain. True freedom consists in an independence of all outer things. "That jiva, which through desire for outer things experiences pleasurable or painful states, loses his hold on self and gets bewildered, and led by outer things. He becomes determined by the other."1 "That jiva, which being free from relations to others and from alien thoughts through its own intrinsic nature of perception and understanding perceives and knows its own eternal nature to be such, is said to have conduct that is absolutely self determined."'45 "Man ! Thou art thine own friend; why wishest thou for a friend beyond thyself ?!?46 We do not have absolute fatalism, for though karma decides all, our present life, which is in our power, can modify the effects of the past. It is possible for us to evade the effects of karma by extraordinary exertions. Nor is there any interference by God. The austere heroes are blessed not because of the uncertain whims of a capricious God, but by the order of the universe of which they themselves are a part. While Buddhism repudiates suicide, Jainism holds that it "increaseth life." If asceticism is hard to practise, if we cannot resist our passions and endure austerities, suicide is permitted. It is sometimes argued that after twelve years of ascetic preparation one can kill himself, since nirvana is assured. As usual with the systems of the time, women are looked upon as objects of temptation"? In common with other systems of Indian thought and belief, Jainism believes in the possibility of non-Jainas reaching the goal if only they follow the ethical rules laid down. Ratnasekhara in the

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Human Nature and Destiny of Jainism 31 opening lines of his sambodhasattari says: "No matter whether he is a Svetambara or a Digambara, a Buddhist or a follower of any other creed, one who has reached the self sameness of the soul. i.e., looks on all creatures as his own self, attains salvation." The Jainas are not opposed to the caste system, which they try to relate to character. "By one's actions one becomes a Brahmana or a Ksatriya, or a Vaisya, or a Sudra...... Him who is exempt from all karmas we call a Brahmana."48"The Jains and the Buddhists use the word Brahmin as a honorific title, applying it even to persons who did not belong to the caste of Brahmana."49 The exclusiveness and pride born of caste are condemned by the Jainas. The Sutrakstanga denounces the pride of birth as one of the eight kinds of pride by which man commits sin. The Jain Sangha, or community, is fourfold, containing monks and nuns, lay-brothers and lay-sisters. With the Buddhists the lay-members were not organically connected with the clergy. With a smaller constituency than that of Buddhism, with no missionary zeal, Jainism has survived in India, while Buddhism has passed away. Mrs. Stevenson offers an explanation for this fact. "The character of Jainas was such as to enable it to throw out tentacles to help it in its hour of need. It had never, like Buddhism, cut itself off from the faith that surrounded it, for it had always employed Brahmins as its domestic chaplains, who presided at its birth rites, and often acted as officiants at its death and marriage caremonies and temple worship. Then, too, amongst its chief heroes it had found niches for some of the favourites of the Hindu pantheon, Rama, Ktisna and the like. Mahaviras genius for organisation also stood Jainism in good stead now, for he had made the laity an integral part of the community, whereas in Buddhism they had no part nor lot in the order. So, when storms of presecution swept over the land, Jainism simply took refuge in Hinduism, which opened its capacious bosom to receive it ; and to the conquerors it seemed an indistinguishable part of that great system."50 Further Dr. Radhakrishnan observes that the materialist view of Karma leads to the Jains to attribute more importance than the Buddhists, to the outer act in contrast to the inner motive. Both Buddhism and Jainism admit the ideal of negation of life and personality. To both life is a calamity to be avoided at all costs. They require us to free ourselves from all the ties that bind us to nature and bring us sorrow. They glorify poverty and purity, peace and patient suffering. Hopkins caricatures the Jaina system when he calls it, "a religion in which the chief points insisted upon are that one should deny God, worship man and nourish vermin."1 The remarkable resemblance between Jainism and Buddhism, in their ethical aspects, is due to the fact that they both borrow from the same Brahmanical sources. "The Brahmin ascetic was the model from which they borrowed many important practices and institutions of ascetic life."52 The concept of Moksa in Jainism is nothing but a ceaseless quest for purification, enlightenment and omniscience. Nirvana or deliverance53 is not annihilation of the soul, but its purity into a blessedness that has no end. It is an escape from the body, though not from existence. "The liberated is not long nrn I Bundga2 Buyizga23 T he Sto&92913Tachely ST*

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untMAAARAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA zudisf9a26 3161 Bulu 922 317 au 01767 EN 11763 10R ST329013100 gel 3T22 VEVO 32 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi FOR che nor small...... nor black, nor blue, nor bitter, nor pungent : neither cold nor hot...... without body, without rebirth...... he perceives, he knows, but there is no analogy, (whereby we can know the nature of the liberated soul) ; its essence is without form ; there is no condition of the unconditioned."51 The siddha state is not the cause or the effect of the samsara series. It is absolutely unconditioned.55 Causality has no hold on the redeemed soul. "Know that from the ordinary point of view, perfect faith, knowledge and conduct are the causes of liberation, while in reality one's own soul consisting of these three (is the cause of liberation).':56 Complete deliverance or moksa has been defined in Jainism as the annihilation of all Karmic matter, 57 or the final dissociation from the body58 meaning, of course, not only the gross body but also that made of the karmic stuff. Thus, final deliverance implies the emancipation both of soul and of matter. 59 The soul gives up all the passions and evil thoughts and enjoys ingate attributes of the soul like jnana and luminosity. Thus, the Jainas do not believe that for the liberation Divine Grace is essential. According to them, the man himself is the architect of his own destiny. "Their religion of self-help, without God or His Grace, is unique in the history of the world."60 In fact, the Jain Moksa has been defined as the eternal upward movement of the soul.61 After the fall of the body, the liberated soul shoots up to the end of the world called Siddhasia or alokakasa, which is absolutely void and empty, and abyss of nothingness.62 "In explanation of this upward movement of the liberated soul, it is said that the momentum of its previous actions, the removal of the forces which bound it down to the world of matter, its native upward gravity, urdhvagaurava, will carry the soul to its destination in a trice. This movement has been likened to the upward rush in a water of an empty submerged gourd, originally smeared thickly with mud.63 'Though Jainism denies God, it does not deny Godhead. Every liberated soul is a God. The Tirthankaras who were mortal being like us, but obtained salvation by dint of personal endeavours, are always there to inspire entire human beings. God is only a symbol of all that is great and good, moral and virtuous. He is not, in any case, responsible for the destiny of the universe or the individual.: Thus, the conception of God in Jaina philosophy inspires the entire humanity to get up and be on the alert. It warns us to believe in ourselves and strive for freedom. Acharanga Sutra presents an elaborate description of the concept of liberation and the state of liberated being in the following lines. "The matchless sage likes to live on alms, inspite of social dis-grace, though not recognised properly by the worldly people, he stands unshakable and firm in determination like an elephant in the battle.65 His position has been compared with a firm rock. He never thinks of giving any blow to any living being by thought, action and will, even in dream. He tolerates every pain and suffering patiently and quietly. "As a lustre of burning flame increases, so increases the austerity, wisdom and glory of a steadfast sage who, with vanquished desires, meditates on the supreme place of virtue, thought suffering pain." We can clearly witness the mystical and spiritual parallel conceptions of reality as well as of salvation in Jainism and in URA

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Human Nature and Destiny of Jainism 33 Upanisads. Their final attempts in determining the reality and Moksa are almost the same to some extents. We witness certain glimpses of negative descriptions of in scattered forms. Acarangasutra declares : All sounds recoil thence where speculations have no room; nor does the mind penetrate there. The Saint knows well that which is without support.66 Besides this, the liberated sage has positive descriptions too. Prof. Radhakrishnan rightly observes, "Though not quite consistently, positive descriptions are given of the freed soul as that it has infinite consciousness, pure understanding, absolute freedom and eternal bliss.67 It can perceive and know, since perception and knowledge are functions of the soul and not of the sense organs. The freed soul has a beginning but no end, while a bound soul has a beginning but has no end. These freed souls enjoy a kind of interpenetrating existence on account of their oneness of status. Their soul substance has a special power by which an infinity of souls could exist without mutual exclusion. The identity of the saved is determined by the living rhythm retaining the form of the last physical life and by the knowledge of the past. This ideal of freedom is manifested in the most perfect degree in the lives of the twenty-four Jain tirthankaras."68 Now, let us give a critical estimate to the problems which lie unsolved in Jaina philosophy regarding soul and its destiny, bondage and liberation. The approach of Jainism towards life and its problems seems at first sight, realistic one, and consequently the spirit alongwith matter are real. However, they hold that bondage is real too. Fortunately our everyday experience is a proof to this fact. But Jaina thinkers forget this hard and fast assumption that if a thing is real then it cannot be negated. Under this metaphysical error liberation is not possible. In this respect, under ultimate analysis, both cannot be regarded as real because truth cannot be refuted. What is removed or concealed is not truth about anything on being liberated, but one's own nescience or avidya. And this nescience lies in the way of not knowing the nature of our true self. "The change in the attainment of liberation is only in our thought and not in the world outside. Thus, the transition from bondage to liberation is only epistemological and not ontological. What is required is only transvaluation of phenomena and not transformation of it." To be frank on this topic it can be said openly without any hesitation that no religions or metathysical system of Indian philosophy can determine the exact time, exact moment ; regarding the origin of nescience or avidya i.e. bondage. If the soul is beginningless, then naturally merit and demerit which surround it might be beginningless too. Here the objection is not against the origin of ignorance or bondage but about the nature of bondage. Bondage can, in no case, be regarded as real because the nature of reality is as Bradley rightly says, "Ultimate Reality is such that it does not contradict itself.69 Then, what is negated is only one's own ignorance which itself is not real ultimately. This type of ignorance can be about the nature of one's own self, nature of the world, nature of the reality. Thus, transition from bondage to liberation is only in the world of knowledge. Pluralism of soul in Jainism creates a large number of philosophical e SAMIAJAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A AAAAAAA pr `lqh fGrqw m`rf fyh `dd mn` Vidi IS Un D ifi 99312 311093 Rely 516

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PALAR LAAAAA Buyurgaz 317E vidis943 31419 915 TOEGERI ST&T913171Gzey Streda Twit 34 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi errors. Though this system admit this plurality quantitatively, yet still, looking with other view-points it is quantitatively. This error may be avoided by accepting this plurality empirically. They ought to welome monism as the final logic (suddha-naya) noumenal unity of the soul. Dr. C. D. Sharma is more consistent on this point when he holds that "When Jainism has rejected all qualitative differences in souls as well as in atoms, why should it inconsistently stick to numerical differences which are only nominal and not real. No attempt is made to synthesise jiva and Pudagala, spirit and matter, subject and object, into a higher unity."70 Jainism holds that the jivas are infinite not only in bondage but also in liberation. They make no sincere attempt to synthesise the plurality of the liberated souls like orthodox schools of Indian philosophy. In the absence of a divine ruler, the Siddhasila gets failure in giving us a picture of the Society of the liberated. The Jaina thinkers have endeavoured to replace the notion of God (isvara) by having an 'Arhan', a Jiva who has achieved the highest stage, endowed with all such attributes as we find in Isvara. But 'Arhan' is after all, a jiva, or a human being and there can be many 'Arhans', at the same time, through Sadhana. But, a jiva, eveu after it has achieved the Isvaratva, will remain a jiva. This is why Prof. Radhakrishanan observes, "Since the severally simple religion of the Jainas did not admit grace or forgiveness, it could not appeal to the masses."71 Jainism is characterised by a profound and absolute pessinism with respect to the nature of the world. Matter is not finally a transformation of spirit but a permanently existing substance, concrete and ineradicable, made up of atoms and capable (like clay) of taking many forms. Different form matter, imprisoned within it and working upon it from within are souls. The goal of Jaina religions practice is to release these jivas from their entanglement with matter. Man is fettered because he goes on acting and doing, every deep bringing an accumulation of new entanglements; the way to victory, therefore, resides in absolute in action. The jiva then breaks free into absolute release (kaivalya) perfect isolation. This condition is not regarded by the Jainas as reabsorption into any ultimate universal substance. On the contrary, the individual jiva, the Monad, simply ascends, like a free baloon, to the Zenith of the organism of the universe, there to remain for ever and ever, together with all baloons-each absolutely self-existent and self-contained, immobile, against the ceiling of the world. The space occupied by each of the perfected ones is boundless. The perfected ones are all-aware. References : 1 Pancastikaya-Samayasara, Qd. in Indian Philosophy: S. Radhakrishnan ; Volume 1, P. 314. 2 Tattvarthasutra, VIII. I. 3 A. B. Lathe : An Introduction to Jainism, Bombay, 1905, pp. 9 ff. 4 Tattvarthasutra, VIII, 2-3. 5 Uvaogassa anari parinami mohajuttassa micchattam annanam aviradibhavo ya nadavvo. Samaya sara, 96.

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Human Nature and Destiny of Jainism 35 $ Sua C.RO 6 Fourth Karmagrantha, 51. See also the Svopajna commentary. 7 Cf. Samsaramula-bijam micchattam-Bhattaparinnaya, IV. 59. 8 Nathmala Tatia: Studies in Jain Philosophy, pp. 145-146. 9 Tattvarthasutra. VII. 8-12. 10 lbid, VIII. 4-14. 11 Ibid, VIII. 3-4. 12 Ibid, VI. 1-2. 13 Dravyasangraha ; pp. 78-80. 14 Mithyadarsana-parigrahada viparita-grahakatvam etesam tasmad ajnanani bhavanti-Bhasya, Tattvathasutra, 1, 32. 15 Pancastikaya, 142. 16 Ibid, 144-145. 17 Ibid, 146. 18 Nathmala Tatia: Studies in Jain Philosophy, p. 149. 19 Sadvedyasubhay urnamagotrani punyam. Tattvarthasutra, VIL 25 quoted in M. L. Mehta : Jain Philosophy, p. 76. 20 Atonyat papam-Tattvartha-sutra, VIII. 26. 21 Subhah punyasya ; asubhah papasya-Ibid, VI. 3-4. 22 -ekagra-cinta-nirodhe dhyanam-Tattvartha-Sutra, IX. 27. 23 Sthanangasutra, IV. I. 247. 24 Dhyanasataka, 28-29. 25 Ibid., 30-34. 26 Pujyapada interprets it as (well regulated) thought stream (cintaprabandha) ---Sarvarthasiddhi, Tattvarthadhigam-sutra, IX. 30. 27 Tattvarthadhigam-sutra, IX. 37. 28 Jnanarnava, XXVII, 4-15. 29 Yoganidra stbitim dhatte mohanidra, pasarpati asu samyak pranitasu syan munes tattva-niscayah. Ibid., XXVI. 18. 30 lbid., XXVII. 22-34. 31 CJ. Caturvarge' gramr moksa yogas tasya ca karanam jnana-sraddhana caritra-rupa ratna-trayam ca sah--Yogasastra, I. 15. 32 Ibid., I-III. 33 Atmai' va darsana-jnanacaritrany athava yateh Ibid., IV. I. 34 Cf. atmanam atmana vetti mohatyagad ya atmani tadeva tasya caritram taj jnanam tac ca darsanam. Ibid., IV. 2. 35 Cf. aha khaniti-maddava-jjava-muttio jinamayapahanao alambanaim jehim sukha-jjhanam samaruhai. Dhyanasataka, 69. 36 Dhyanasataka, 70. 37 Yogavimsika, 1-2 ; Sodasaka-Prakarna, XIII. 4; for Salambana and niralam bana yoga, see Sodasprakarna, XIV. I. 38 Sodasakas, XIV. 2-3. 39 Ibid., XVI, 14. 40 Yogabindu, 31. 41 Quoted in fragments from Nathmal Tatia: Studies in Jain Philosophy, pp. 281-300. AAJAAAAAAAALALALALALALAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

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RARAAN ALA ZIENTZ 3780 YILIZE 3711 poen N3TR Stern 3 TATA 3149 VVV 36 Dr. Bashishtha Narain Tripathi Sate Jul 42 S. Radhakrishnan : Indian Philosophy Vol. I, p. 326-29. 43 A carangasutra, Sacred Books of the East, XXII., p. 48 ; See also p. 76-77. 44 Ibid, p. 163. 45 Ibid., p. 165. 46 Sacred Books of the East : XXII, p. 33. 47 Ibid., XXII. p. 48. 48 Ibid , XIV. p. 140. 49 Ibid., XXII., P. XXX. 50. Mrs. Stevenson : The Heart of Jainism, pp. 18-19. 51 Hopkins : The Religions of India, p. 297. 52 Sacred Books of the East : XXII, p. XXIV. 53 S. Radhakrishnan : Indian Philosophy Vol. I. p. 332-333. 54 Sacred Books of the East : XXII. p. 52. 55 Ibid, p. 36. 56 Dravayasamgraha, 39 ; See also 40. 57 TAS. X. 3. 58 Atyantikodehaviyogah. S. DS. Sl. 52. 59 Studies in Jain Philosophy, p. 228. 60 J. N. Sinha : History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. II. p. 277. 61 Nityordhyagamanam muktih. Qd in S. Radhakrishnan I. P. Vol. I. p. 333. 62 Encyclopaedia of Religion And Ethics : Vol. VII. p. 468. 63 TAS. X. 6; Quoted in Concept of Mukti in Advaita Vedanta : A. G. Krishna Warrier ; p. 178. 64 Tatia SJP, p. 268. 65 Acaranga sutra, p. 21. 66 Sacred Books of the East : XXII. p. 52. 67 Dravyasangrah, p. 28. 68 S. Radhakrishnan, I. P. Vol. I. p. 333. 69 Bradley : Appearance and Reality, p. 120. 70 C. D. Sharma : 1. P., p. 81. AU 1 CUTIH