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 last instant of the anivrttikarana, that is, the instant just preceding the enlightenment. Of these three heaps, one is pure (that is, does not obscure samyaktva 'right vision' by its rise), the second is semi-pure (that is, obscures the right vision only partially), and the third is impure (that is, obscures the right vision completely). Then from the very first instant of the period of enlightenment the soul begins, by the process called guna-sainkrama, transforming the content of the impure heap into pure as well as semi-pure matter and depositing them into the corresponding heaps. The quantity of matter thus transformed increases every moment, the quantity transformed into semi-pure matter being always greater than the quantity transformed into pure matter.? Now in this way at the end of the period of enlightenment the soul is confronted with three qualitatively different heaps of vision deluding karman which was originally homogeneous before the enlightenment. Anyone of these three can come into rise after the period of enlightenment. If it is the pure heap that comes into rise on account of the persistent purity of the soul, then the soul attains purity of character also and attains to a higher stage of spiritual development. But if it is the semi-pure heap that comes into rise then the soul feels rebuff and gradually falls back to the lowest stage. And if it is the impure heap that comes into rise the soul at once finds itself in the lowest stage.
We have now seen how the soul attains the first spiritual vision on account of the subsidence of the karmic matter responsible for the basic defect called perversity of attitude (mithyātva). This spiritual vision, however, is only temporary and disappears within a very short time. The soul now attempts in a number of ways to recapture the vision, and make it a permanent possession. The processes that the soul has to undergo for the purpose are quite analogous to the processes already described with slight variation in their details which are not very important. Moreover, the processes follow quite easily from an analysis of the conditions of bondage. There are five conditions of bondage viz. perversity of attitude (mithyātva), non-abstinence (avirati), spiritual inertia (pramāda), passions (kaşāya), and the threefold activities (yoga) of the body, the sense-organ of speech, and the mind.3 The passions are four viz. anger, pride, deceit, and greed each of which again can be of four types viz. 'lifelong' (anantānubandhin), that which obscures the energy for even partial abstinence (apratyākhyānāvarana), that which obscures only the energy for complete abstinence (pratyukhyānāvarana), and that which is very fickle and meagre and is effective only occasionally (sarnjualana). We have stated these types in the last chapter also. We shall refer to these four types respectively
1 kp: Upa, 19 with Tīkā.
2 Ibid., 20 with Tīkā. 3 mithyadarśana-'virati-pramāda-kaṣāya-yogā bandhahetavaḥ--TSū, VIII. I.