Ethical Doctrines in Jainism

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

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ETHICAL DOCTRINES IN JAINISM
are of opinion that belief in the Āpta, the Guru, the scriptures etc. is valid if it engenders belief in the Tattvas. This implies that sometimes the belief in the Apta etc. does not produce belief in the Tattvas, hence so much weight and insistence has been laid on the belief in the Seven Tattvas. It may be pointed out here that belief should not be confounded with mere intellectual comprehension and clarity, though intellectual enlightenment may possibly, but not necessarily, lead to the arousal of right belief: it is a sort of mental attitude which brings about a kind of undeviating adhesion to spiritual truth. It is not dogmatic coherence but rational adherence. Traditionalism in the sense of irrationalism is to be denounced, but ratiocinative adherence is to be adopted and accepted. It may be considered that only those persons that are well equipped mentally are capable of attaining Samyagdarśana, but we may point out here that the attainment of it has little to do with mental equipments. Nor has it any bearing upon the fact of being born as a Jaina. Spiritualism cannot be monopolised. Wherever it extends, it will undoubtedly clasp within its range the belief in the seven Tattvas irrespective of any acquaintance with their names. Their essence is significant, and not their names, which may be different. 1 possessing Samyagdarśana must recognise his self as his own as well as the causes of his misery, and the means for their elimination. He must recognise passions as his only foes, though he may not know their names, yet he must have the feeling that real happiness requires their extirpation.
SAMYAGDARSANA FROM THE TRANSCENDENTAL VIEW: If we are driven to earnest reflection and are allowed to evaluate things from the vantage-ground, even the belief in the seven Tattvas or the nine Padārthas misrepresents the nature of Samyagdarśana. The true nature of Samyagdarśana consists in having unflinching faith in the transcendental self. Of the seven Tattvas, the self-shining and unevasive principle is the self, and consequently firm conviction in the pristine purity of the self constitutes what is called Samyagdarśana. Kundakunda's Darsana Pāhuda deems the belief in the true self to be expressive of Niscaya (real) Samyagdarśana in contradistinction to the belief in the Tattvas as Vyavahāra.2 Amộtacandra in the commentary on the Samayasāra accords to Niścaya or Suddhanaya the status of
Samaya. Comm. Amfta. 13.
2 Darsana Pā. 20.