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COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
Right Knowledge
Right Faith makes us perceive, though not in full detail, the principles of life and matter, devote our thoughts and worship towards the conquerors and bestow our diligence in the study of scriptures. With belief in the tenets of religion, the ground for pursuit of knowledge would have been prepared. What is more, there would be the necessary purity of thought and a reverential but logical attitude of approach. Mithyātva is the bane of right knowledge.
Samantabhadra has defined knowledge as comprehension of the full and real nature of an object as it is, without any doubt, perversity or exaggeration. Comprension which is partial, excessive, perverted or doubtful is wrong knowledge. 14 Nemicandra Siddhānta Cakravarti holds the view that perfect knowledge is full comprehension of the real nature of soul and matter free from doubt (Saṁsaya), perversity (vimoha) and indefiniteness (vibhramā).15 Jaina philosophers have laid down that there are four means (pramāṇas) of acquiring right knowledge; they are : i) direct perception (pratyakşa), inference (anumāna) analogy (upamāna) and sacred precepts (āgama).
From the real point of view, knowledge is the inherent attribute of the soul. It is the knower as well as the fountain:-head of knowledge. That knowledge is perfect; but, it is only due to the veils of Karmas that its immensity and brilliance are not realizable. Knowledge is perfect when it does not suffer from the mithyātva or wrong belief. Mithyātva is the enemy of right knowledge as it perverts both the understanding and attitude. Kundakunda holds the view that sell-knowledge is the true knowledge. Expounding the theory from a negative point of view, he says that scripture, word, form, colour, smell, taste, touch, Karma or any of the substances is not knowledge. 15 The reason is that all these attributes are the characteristics of matter and hence foreign to the nature of the soul. The soul is the knower, the enlightened and therefore knowledge is not separate from the knower. This knowledge is itself right belief.
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