Book Title: First Steps to Jainism Part 1
Author(s): Sancheti Asso Lal, Manakmal Bhandari
Publisher: Sancheti Trust Jodhpur

Previous | Next

Page 46
________________ 32 First Steps to Jainism as the soul's essential quality is consciousness. However, as soon as the soul acquires Right Vision by any of the two processes mentioned earlier the knowledge becomes Right Knowledge. Alternatively, it can be said that with the separation of the soul from bondage of karma matter (obstructing Right Knowledge), partially or fully it manifests itself. 16. Right Knowledge is broadly divided into five categories depending upon the progressive development of the soul or increasing manifestation of its power in respect of knowledge or consciousness. These are (i) Sensory. (mati) (ii) Study (Sruta) (iii) Clairvoyance (Avadhi) (iv) Telepathy (Man Prayaya) and (v) Omniscience (Kewalya). 17. The progress of the soul to realize these powers is possible by separating the shadow cast by the karmas on the soul, just as a mirror, which is covered with dust, starts shining and giving clear image when the dust is removed. 18. These five varieties are divided into two groups viz. director indirect or Pratyaksha and Paroksha respectively. The first two i.e. sensory (mati) and study (sruta) are indirect as these are acquired through the medium of senses or mind, while the remaining three are considered direct, as these are acquired by soul directly without any intermediary. 19. Though it must have become obvious the distinction between nonknowledge-agyan, false knowledge-mithya gyan and Right Knowledgesamyag gyan may be clarified by the example of a pitch dark room, a room with coloured light and one with natural bright light. The dark room is like agyan where nothing can be known. In the coloured room everything appears in false colour different from what it is, and therefore, is like false knowledge. However, the room with natural bright light shows things in their true form as they are and therefore, is like Right Knowledge. 20. Now we take up the discussion of five varieties of knowledge one by one. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300