________________
890
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
(6) how to destroy those actually existing now ? and
(7) what will be the nature of the condition resulting from the destruction of one's bonds?
Such are the ultimate principles of Right Knowledge ; they are called tattvas because no soul desirous of its welfare can afford to remain ignorant of them. In differrent language, the jiva that does not know them knows nothing worth knowing, though he may have mastered all the worldly sciences and arts and other departments of knowledge. In the technical language of the Jaina Siddhanta, these seven essentials of Right Knowledge are known as (1) jiva (2) ajiva, (3) aśrava (inflow of matter into the soul), (4) bandha (bondage), (5) samvara (cessation of asrava), (6) nirjarů (destruction of existing bonds), and (7) moksha (liberation). The whole teaching of the Holy Siddhanta as to the nature of Right Knowledge may be tersely summed up in the following sentence, with the small numerals placed on appropriate words to emphasize the tattvas: the jiva' is held in the clutches of ajiva? which flows towards it, and assumes the form of bonds* ; the stoppages of the inflow and destruction of the existing bonds result in the attainment of salvation or liberation', the highest conceivable form of good.
As to the nature of the tattvas, we are already sufficiently familiar with the first two and the last, but the others need explanation. To begin with asrava, the first thing to grasp is that there can be no bondage of pure mental abstractions, or purely wordy concepts; the word signifies some kind of l'eal fetters, not, indeed, consisting of chains of iron, but of some very subtle and fine kind of
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org