Samkit Faith Practice Liberation

SR No.: 007764
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Amit B Bhansali
Publisher: Amit B Bhansali
Publication Year: 2015
Total Pages: 447
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 7 MB

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1.2.2 Nature of Mithyaatva
The commentary on the Sthaanaanga Suutra (verse 10.734) defines one aspect of mithyaatva (belief in falsehood; thus: "To not understand the true nature of something or to understand it wrongly."
In his Yogashaastra (chapter 2), Aachaarya Hemachandra defines the second aspect of mithyaatva, wherein false gods are considered true, false preceptors are considered true and false religion is considered true.
Just as a blind man is unable to see colours, a person who suffers from mithyaatva cannot correctly understand the 9 substances which are jiiva (sentient living being), ajiiva (non-living material object), aasrava (inflow of karmas into the soul), bandha (bonding of karmas with the soul), punya {merits), paapa (demerits), samvara (stopping the inflow of new karmas to the soul), nirjaraa {shedding karmas from the soul} and moksha (liberation). He may know these substances by name, but he will never be able to understand them correctly. Like an intoxicated person, his perception and comprehension of reality will always be hazy and flawed.
Just as even the tiniest portion of poison when mixed in milk can be lethal, even the slightest mithyaatva does not allow the living being to leave the first gunsthaanaka (first of the 14 stages of purity of the soul).
"Suutroktasyaikasyaa parocanaadaksharasya bhavatinarah.
Mithyaadrishtih suutra hi na pramaanam jinaabhihitam."
- Commentary on verse 22, Prajnaapanaa Suutra
- Gunsthaana Mokshnaa Sopaan (Page 42, Author: Dr. Ketaki Shah, Publisher: Dariyaapuri Jain Samiti, (Navrangpura) Ahmedabad, (Gujarat) year 2010)
If there is disinterest/lack of belief in even one letter of the aphorism given by the Jinaas, it makes a person mithyaadrishti (deluded) because the teachings of the Jinaas are completely true.
A living being cannot begin walking on the path of liberation unless he is completely free from all mithyaatva.
Amongst the 18 paapa Sthaanaka (18 ways of sinning} 'mithyaatva shalya' (the thorn of false belief} is the 18th and most grave. Once mithyaatva is destroyed, the preceding 17 types of sin are weakened. It is known as 'mithyaatva shalya' (shalya means thorn) because false belief is indeed a thorn in the side and causes untold harm to the soul.