Jain Agam Sahitya

SR No.: 001431
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K R Chandra
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1992
Total Pages: 330
Language: Prakrit, Hindi, Enlgish, Gujarati
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Philosophy, & agam_related_articles
File Size: 18 MB

Page 295

A Quantitative ...... Perception
271
If we treat this rough agreement as not a mere coincidence this would mean that extra sensory perception is a hard realily and is a new channel for acquiring knowledge of the world. A knowledge which is beyond the limits of space and time but still concerns with the space-time description of the physical world. Now since we are dealing with an entirely new method for acquiring knowledge, this method can be very different from the standard scientific methods. So we must now deal with this new method in some detail and investigate new laws or conditions which are required to be fulfilled for acquiring this knowledge. Hence in this spirit we now describe the ethical doctrines of the Jainas in the next section.
4. Ethical Doctrinės for acquiring the highest state of perfection of soul.
From the discussion of section 2, it is now clear that in order to achieve the perfection of the soul with infinite knowledge, one has to dissociate oneself completely from the clutches of the matter attached with his mundane soul. But this is not done suddenly. One has to foll w a systematic approach. Five fundamental principles have been laid down for the process of cleansing. They are (i) Ahimsā ( Non-violence ) (i) Satya ( Truihspeaking ), (iii) Asteya ( Non-stealing ), (iv) Brahmacarya (Celibacy) and (v) Aparigraha ( Non-possession ). It has been very strongly emphasised that one should not only follow these principles in the physical sense but also in the psychical sense.
Jainism considers that the preparation for attaining the perfectness of the soul should not be postponed to the stage of complete renunciation. Since renunciation is not merely physical but is primarily psychical, It is a slow process. Hence the preparation for leading a spiritual life should begin early in the life. They have therefore enunciated two fold duties : (i) the household and (ii) the monastic. There are some relaxations for a householder but a monk has to follow the above principles very strictly.
It is clearly specified that to get enlightenment one has to practice a series of spiritual exercises like that of reading of scriptures, serving the holymen and other enlightened preceptors (Gurus), daily practice of yoga, Āsanas, Meditation etc. With these spiritual exer