Studies in Jaina Philosophy

SR No.: 001616
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Publication Year: 1951
Total Pages: 366
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, Knowledge, Yoga, & Epistemology
File Size: 9 MB

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JAINA YOGA
[CH
the things of the world. For the preservation of equanimity one should cultivate friendship (maitri) with all creatures, appreciation (pramoda) for the superior, compassion and sympathy (kārunya) for the afflicted, and indifference (mädhyasthya) for the unruly.' Contemplation of the nature of the world and the body generates fear (samvega) and indifference (vairāgya) for the worldly existence and therefore is to be earnestly pursued. These are in brief the main features of the Jaina doctrine of conduct. Let us now study the essential characteristics of the Jaina conception of the pathway to emancipation, in other words, Jaina yoga.
The trio of right attitude, right knowledge and right conduct constitutes, according to the Jainas, the pathway to final emancipation.” We have studied the nature and mutual relation of these three in the third chapter. Right attitude or samyag-darśana is the predilection or love for truth. Every soul has such predilection in some measure. But unless and until it develops into a self-conscious pursuit of truth, it does not help spiritual progress. It is only at the stage of self-conscious effort for spiritual advancement that this love of truth is called samyag-darśana. The soul is conceived as groping in darkness before it acquires this love of truth in an appreciable measure. And it has to undergo a number of processes before the acquisition of this characteristic. After the acquisition of this characteristic the soul passes through a number of stages of spiritual development, technically known as gunasthänas. This is a very important doctrine of the Jainas. Once the soul succeeds in acquiring the samyag-darśana, it is bound to attain emancipation sooner or later. The nature of this samyagdarśana and its condition viz. the purity of the soul we have already described on more than one occasion and shall have again an occasion to do so while dealing with the doctrine of gunasthāna. The attainment of right attitude (samyag-darśana) is followed by the attainment of right knowledge (samyag-jñāna) and right conduct (samyakcăritra). The soul acquires more and more power for self-concentration
I maitrī-pramoda-kārunya-mādhyasthyāni sattva-guņādhika-klisya māna-'vincyesu-Ibid., VII. 6.
2 jagat-kāyasvabhāvau.ca sarvega-vairāgyārtham--TSū, VII. 7. 3 samyagdarśana-jñāna-cāritrāņi mokşamārgaḥ-TSü, I. 1. 4 Vide supra, pp. 146-151.
5 There are souls who do never acquire this characteristic and, therefore, are never released from worldly bondage. These souls are called abhavya (incapable of release). The Jainas do not give any ultimate reason for this endless bondage. We find similar conception in Buddhism as well. Cf.
varsaty api hi parjanye nai 'vā 'bījam prarohati samutpäde 'pi buddhānām nā 'bhavyo bhadram aśnute. -Abhisamayalankāra, VIII. 10, quoted in Bu-Ston (Part II,
P. 138 footnote).