ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 373

SCHOOL
ONAL
OF
SELF STUDY IS THE
SUPREME AUSTERITY
पाध्याय परम
NN STUDIES
Bhagavati Sūtra chapter 25.7 reveals that one must first become aware of the defilements, then must confess and condemn them either in front of the spiritual masters or in private with the Self and supreme Godhead as witness. Then he must embrace the right conduct, i.e. righteousness, and thereupon expiate for the past sins. After doing so an aspirant takes to austere practices to annihilate the existing stock of karmas and to purify the self. We get a detailed discussion of the 12-fold Nirjarā, i.e. austerity in this context. They are explained with their sub-divisions and are important for spiritual progress.
Jainism has never given importance to blind faith and blind practices of austerities. Austerity should be accompanied with spirituality, only then it can serve the purpose of emancipation. Throughout the discussion of stoppage and annihilation of karma the Bhagavati Sūtra has stressed the need for giving up passion, delusion and attachment. One ought to renounce food and also check the causes of karmic bondage immediately for spiritual progress.15
16
Mokşa or Emancipation
Brahma Sutra begins with 'Athāto Bahmajijñāsā', for the Mimämsä Sūtra and Vaiśesika it is 'Athāto Dharmajñāsā, for Jainism it can be said 'Athāto Tattvajisa, i.e. philosophical speculations are rooted in curiosity for Brahma, Dharma and Tattvas respectively. The purpose of Indian philosophy is not only knowledge of the reality, but also realization of it for attaining freedom from misery. It is not merely an academic pursuit of knowledge, but has the aim of realization of the truth in life.
The Bhagavati Sūtra chapter 12.7 reveals that in this entire loka there is not a single space point where the soul has not experienced birth and death, there is not a single soul with whom all kinds of relation have not been established, be it of friend, foe, parent, offspring, husband, wife, partner, master, servant, etc. The world is eternal, it is beginning-less, the soul too is eternal, but is bound by karmas and subject to birth and death. Just as one cannot say whether the hen came first or the egg, none can reveal about the origin of the living and non-living. Those who realize the purity of their souls and conduct accordingly are able to annihilate the karmas to finally ascend to Moksa, enjoying infinite knowledge, vision, bliss and power.
15 Bhagavati Sūtra 25.7.255.
Bhagavati Sūtra 1.6.
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0