$JES 904 Compendium of Jainism (Jain Academic Bowl Manual 3rd Edition)

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 31

PHILOSOPHY
B02 - Jain Path of Liberation - Ratna Trayi
B02 - Jain Path of Liberation - Ratna Trayi
The Jain philosophy is based on the premise that the ultimate goal of human life is liberation; to realize the free and blissful state of our true being. True philosophy should result in removing all bondage karma in the process of purifying the soul.
Jainism addresses the true nature of soul and the reality. Lord Mahävir explained that all souls are equal in their potential for infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite energy or power, and unobstructed bliss. However, Jainism states that from eternity the soul is ignorant of its true nature (in Mithyätva) and is in bondage with karma (Karmic particles of matter). It is due to karma that the soul migrates from one life cycle to another and faces various circumstances of happiness and unhappiness. It is due to the ignorance of its true nature that the soul seeks pleasure in materialistic belongings and possessions and continue to feed its passions such as anger, ego, deceit, greed, lust, hatred, and self-centered violent thoughts. This action continuously accumulates new karma and suffering.
The conduct of the present life should be aimed to attain liberation (Moksha), the state of eternal bliss from which there is no return to the cycle of life and death. Every soul can attain liberation, a supreme spiritual state by realizing its intrinsic purity and perfection.
Jainism lays down a definitive course of practical moral discipline, contemplation of the highest truth, and reorientation of life for attaining ultimate reality or truth. Lord Mahävir and the other Tirthankars have shown the effectiveness of spiritual progress by putting it into the practice in their own lives. The prominent Monk, Umäsväti, around the 1st or 2nd century A.D., reminded us of it again in the very first verse of his Tattvärtha Sutra. It reads:
"Samyag-darshan-jnän-chanträni Mokshamärgah".
This prescribes a path to liberation -Moksha, which consists of the following trinity Ratna-Trayi:
Samyag Darshan Samyag Jnän Samyag Chäritra
Right perception Right knowledge Right conduct
Right perception creates an awareness of reality or truth, right knowledge impels the person to proper action, and proper conduct leads him to the attainment of total freedom. They must coexist in a person if one is to make any progress on the path of liberation.
01 Samyag Darshan (Right Perception or Faith)
According to Jain doctrine, all knowledge, except omniscience, is only partial truth from a particular viewpoint. Each individual has his or her unique perception of the world, which is a mixture of truth and ignorance. All perceptions are valid, but incomplete, views of reality. The limited knowledge of the worldly souls is distorted by ignorance unless it is uncovered by the right perception or faith. The first step in the process of self-realization is to discard wrong beliefs and to adopt a rational attitude in life. It is ascertaining true nature of the substances as they are. In other words, one should understand the true nature of the self and non-self, their interaction, and the result thereof without being guided by one's bias, prejudice or likes and dislikes.
Thus, Right Faith consists of seeing the true nature of every substance in the universe. Jainism advocates that one should first try to know, comprehend, and understand the nature of reality. One should analyze, examine, test, verify, and then, if satisfied, be convinced of its truth and efficacy. Samyag Darshan is the foundation of truth and moral and spiritual discipline. It determines the right path of action and guides the consciousness toward the goal. Right faith is not blind faith but the faith resulting from the discretionary power of thought accompanied with the universal law of cause and effect. This faith enables one to discriminate what is beneficial from what is harmful. Right faith arouses the pure desire to acquire knowledge and it also turns whatever limited knowledge one has, into right knowledge.
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
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