Saman suttam Part 1

SR No.: 008022
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 1993
Total Pages: 119
Language: Prakrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Religion, & Principle
File Size: 6 MB

Page 16

resolute moralist, but he will lack that spiritual quality by virtue of which he may be called a real saint, a seeker of spiritual truth, a person moving on the path of religion Thus spiritual awakening is to be sharply distinguished from moral and intellectual accomplishments.
Now the question is . What are the criteria of spiritual awakening? Is there any way to judge the occurrance of spiritual awakening in the life of an aspirant? The Samanasuttam has given certain individual and social characteristics that accompany spiritual awakening (Samyagdarsana) In general it may be said that the spiritually awakened self is without any iota of fear and pride He is not frightened when worldly pleasures part company and troubles accompany him. Nor is he perturbed by the life hereafter He has no fear of death, disease, accidents, insecurity, and of losing prosperity Again he has comprehended the futility of pride, and conse quently pride of learning, honour, family, caste, power, opulence, penance and body has been forsaken by him Besides the spiritually awakened self develops certain individual characteristics in his own personality First, he regards, without any doubt, kindness to all creatures as dharma and any injury to them as adharma Secondly, he does not hanker after transient pleasures of the world Thirdly, he dissociates himself from irrational and unscientific traditional beliefs. Besides, there are certain social characterisitics which emanate from the spiritually awakened being First, he does not hate a meritorious being owing to certain diseased bodily conditions and the like Secondly, he does not lay open the faults and weaknesses of others and does not publicize his own good deeds Thirdly, if any body is constrained to deviate from the path of reighteousness, he re-establishes him in the right path Fourthly, he evinces deep affection for those who are on the path of righteousness And lastly, he propagates spiritual values by such means as are best suited to time and place
According to the Samanasuttar that is value-knowledge by virtue of which spiritual principle is cognized, mind is curbed and soul is purified (252) Again that is value-knowledge by which the person becomes free from attachment, by which he is absorbed in the virtue and by which the feeling of amity is engendered (253)
As regards ethico-spiritual conduct, the Samunavutlari tells us that withdrawals from the imn.oral conduct and devoting one's self to the moral conduct is styled conduct from the empirkal standpoint (203) But according to the transcendental standpoint when the self is ulisorbed is his own sell then that absorption in thi highest self is certank anscendental conduct The person who is devoid of all altachments and who is engrossed in the self apprehends and experiences the self in its basic nature, certainly pursucs spiritual conduct (271) The person who is not disposed to the