Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

Author(s): Padamchand Shastri, N L Jain
Publisher: Veer Seva Mandir Trust

Page 30

the omniscient. There is merely a state of being knowable and knowership and that too is only pragmatical. This is because the self-entity does not require any option or statement. It is merely an entity of outright self-experience.
It is just surprising that we are unaware of the meanings of skycladness and non-possessiveness even under this state of things and we are engaged in identifying them on the basis of external entities like body etc. We are assuming clothlessness only as Digambara and not non-possessedness.
Well, let it be. We may be admitting clothlessness as Digambara or non-possessedness, but we must understand the true meaning of the term 'Vastra' (cloth). The cloth is indicator of cover or obscuration which hides the reality and does not allow it to be unfolded. In this sense, all the states and entities different from the self-nature are like covered by clothes. They are clothed only. This obscured existence has been designated as 'possession' in Jain philosophy which has directed us to be free from it.
This philosophy admits the 'non-possessed' as venerable as he is the only one devoid of defects and he is the only one capable of selfnatured and abiding in the state of omniscience. It is stated that
"Whosoever is not faultless, he is not omniscient. The faultlessness is moving away from obscurations like attachment and aversion etc. which are faults". The Jain scriptures have stated only the pure soul as faultless:
"You are the faultless whose speech is always consistent with scriptures and logic".
With this objective in mind, Niyamasara verse 6 has also pointed out coarsely the 18 defects or faults as below: (1) Hunger, (2) Thirst or desires, (3) Fear, (4) Anger, (5) Attachment, (6) Delusion, (7) Anxiety, (8) Old age, (9) Disease, (10) Death, (11)