Some Problems in Jaina Psychology

SR No.: 001260
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Karnatak University Dharwar
Publication Year: 1961
Total Pages: 205
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Philosophy
File Size: 13 MB

Page 172

THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL
155
veil of perversity. The perversity of wrong belief consists in not having belief in things as they are. Wrong belief is of five kinds: (i) one-sided belief (ekanta); (ii) perversity of belief (viparīta). For instance, the practice of sacrifice of animals is due to perversity of belief. In this, we forget that all lives have to be respected. We ignore the fundamental equality and dignity of the individual souls in whatever state they are; (iii) veneration of false creeds, called vinaya. It refers to the acceptance of a false creed; (iv) doubt, which is responsible for instability of faith, (samsaya), as when we are not prepared to accept either of two beliefs; (v) indiscreet acceptance of any view although it is perverse and wrong, ajñāna.9 The soul, suffering from perversity of attitude, does not relish the truth, just as a man suffering from fever has no taste for sugarcane juice.10 This state of the soul refers to the perversity which may give rise to intellectual aberrations like false ideologies in social, political and religious life. Even souls that have cut the karma granthi and have experienced spiritual vision may fall back to this stage of perversity. For instance, a man who has known the right view may fall back and be perversely fanatical in the wrong faith. However, such men are not totally condemned, because, for them, there is a possibility of regaining the lost vision. They have tasted the right vision, and when the occasion arises they will realize that they have fallen back and try to free themselves from their perversity of attitude. This is not so easy for those who are still in the lowest stage of spiritual development, since they have never had a glimpse of the right vision.
(2) The next stage is the sasvadana samyagdṛṣṭi. This is a transitory stage, as it is an intermediate stage in the fall from the heights of samyaktva. The soul halts while falling from a higher stage of spiritual development. For instance, at the end of the period of the dawn of enlightenment life-long passions envelop the soul, and there is a fall to a lower stage. From the higher stage of samyaktva the soul comes down to wrong belief, but it has neither the right belief nor a fanatical perversity of attitude. This is called the doubtful stage, or sasvadana.11 The mental states in this stage are said to be in a transitory condition. The soul had acquired the right belief but it has now come down, although the fall is not to the lowest stage. The minimum duration of the fall in this stage is one instant of time (samaya), and the maximum is avali, six wings. During this fall, the soul has neither the right belief nor the wrong belief, because the karma which is responsible for the perversity of attitude (mithyātva) has not yet begun to operate. It is possible that after one avali the mithyātva karma may begin to operate again, when it falls
9 Gommatasära Jivakända, 15.
10 Ibid., 17.
11 Gommatasaāra: Jivakända, 20.