Doctrine of Liberation in Indian Religion

Author(s): Shivkumarmuni
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION IN INDIAN RELIGIONS
perfect peace and spiritual freedom (mokşa). This state of being is essentially the real nature of the self (atman) endowed with supreme wisdom and supreme vision. Among all the living species, man is considered to be the most developed creature. He has the capacity and potentiality for realizing the perfect state of the self. The religious and moral culture taught by the Jinas forms the practical pathway to the perfection of the self.
It goes without saying that Indian religions have stressed the urgency of attaining liberation. What distinguishes the Jaina attitude is its stress on renunciation and ascetic culture. Suffering is recognised as the hallmark of existence in the samsära. In addition to suffering there are the elements of impermanence and chances of prolonging bondage through the deeds inspired by ignorance and passions. The awareness of these facts of phenomenal existence has been specially propogated by the two branches of Śramana Culture, Jainism and Buddhism. As in Jainism so in Buddhism, existence in the world is invariably associated with manifold sufferings. The quest of liberation springs out of this awareness of suffering.60
In the following pages we have undertaken a detailed historical and descriptive study of the Jaina concepts of bondage and liberation. A review of similar concepts in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism has been attempted mainly for two reasons. In the first place a study of other religious ideologies helps us in figuring out in clearer terms the basic categories of Jaina religious thought. In the second place, such a study brings out the points of agreement and disagreement among different religious ideologies. On the other hand, it may be said that our studies in the doctrine of liberation in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have greatly broadened our outlook toward the problem of religious plurality. Indeed, the Jaina doctrine of non-absolutismanekantavada-has always welcomed a just appreciation of the points of view of the votaries of different faiths and philosophies. In our study of the religions of India we have been able to identify not only those areas which are shared by more than one religion but also those areas which are peculiar to each.
The Jaina theory of liberation can be understood only in relation to the Jaina theory of the self (ätman). The Jaina theory of the self is a complex one. In the following chapter we shall study this theory in detail.
60. See L.M. Joshi, Facets of Jaina Religiousness in Comparative Light, Ahemdabad: L.D. Institute of Indology, 1981, pp. 1-37.