________________
58
An Epitome of Jainism family or the nation to which the individual belongs. The nature of the personality therefore is determined by the extent and diversity of interest. We feel offended when any injury is done to our possessions. We feel it a personal insult if any one who is near and dear to us is unfairly treated The self which is by its own intrinsic nature a complex entity becomes all the more complex by identyfying itself through its interest with its environment of things and persons. Under such circumstances it is an extremely difficult problem to define the exact nature of the soul and to point out its own appropriate boundary. Hence the necessity of the application of nayas or points of view. These nayas, as already mentioned, are specially designed for the purpose of explaining the nature and defining the limits of the self.
To start with, there are two main aspects or naya nischaya and vyavahâra. The former represents the true and complete point of view. There is no distinction between drarya and its guņas. The self is looked at as a whole with all the wealth of its attributes. The latter represents the partial point of view. The complex nature of the self is analysed into its diverse qualities and our attention may be directed to any particular attribute with which the self may be identified at the moment. Further, the former Nischaya Naya is divided into Suddha Nischaya and Aśuddha Niśchya Naya. Suddha Niśchaya Naya holds the self in its pure and unconditioned nirupādhi state. Disentangled from all its material evironment and limitation, the self radiates in its pristine glory through all its wealth of infinite qualities. This aspect where the self is in its qualities and its qualities are pure and unalloyed expression of the nature of this self, is the topic of Suddha Niśchaya Naya. The second Aśuddha Nischaya Naya contemplates the self as caught in the meshes of the material evironment, the sopâdhi state. The presence of upâdhi makes it impure or aśuddha. Its intrinsic glory is dimmed but still it is viewed as a whole with its complete nature as expressed in its attributes, though somewhat warped by alien influences. This is the self according to Aśuddha Nischaya Naya.
Similarly the vyavahâra point of view is divided into two main headssatbhůta vyavahâra and asatbhůta vyavahâra. The term satbhůta implies the intrinsic nature of the thing. Here the question is not about the purity or the impurity of the thing. The term vyavahâra, as already explained, implies the analysis and differentiation of attributes from the underlying dravya. Jñana or thought is certainly an attribute of the self. To speak of jñana as identical with self is to adopt Saibhậta Vyavahâra Naya. The term asatbhata implies the importation of alien qualities into the self. Some of the organic instincts and emotions are distinctly due to the physical constitution. Nevertheless such instincts and emotions are associated with the self from the point of view of Asatbhàta Vyavahára Naya. Similarly the kârnmic constituents which are intrinsically physical may be said to belong to the self and modify its manifestations.
Each of these two again is divided into two other minor kinds-upacharita and anupachdrita. Upachårita is usage sanctified by convention but having
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
