Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
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2.0 The Jain Solution Perhaps more than any other Indian religious tradition, Jainism is imbued with an emotional commitment to self-reliance. Thus Jains have found both theistic (grace) and fatalistic (sudden escape) doctrines repugnant, for these doctrines not only negate the efficacy of the Tirthamkaras path, but they totally deny soul's ability to influence its own future
Jains grant the soul great powers of manipulation with regard to the karmas. For a Jain the knowledge, bliss, and energy can never be totally extinguished, whereas karmic influence is subject to complete elimination. Hence the soul possesses a sort of built-in advantage, an ever-present tendency to develop its qualities and temporarily reduce the influence of the karmas. When Jains say that a soul is free to work at its own salvation, it is this inherent tendency towards self-improvement that is referred to. Thus a soul will again and again progress to transitory states of relative purity and insight, only to be driven back by onrushing karmas, until a moment when the attainment of such a state coincides with the sort of external "activating" conditions mentioned above. We do not know precisely what happens at that moment; it would appear, however, that the bhavyatva (capability to become free) is moved to exert its catalytic influence upon the energy qualities, thereby redirecting it towards mokşa. The mysterious event completely alters the future of the soul; its bonds of saṁsāra begin to unravel, and ultimate salvation is assured.
The first step therefore is to encompass the notion of; it is due to which the further development is possible.
2.1 Definitions of Samyagdarśana Samyagdarśana is rendered as right belief or right faith or right attitude or right conviction. From the real point of view, samyagdarśana means a sense of realization of self. From practical point of view samyagdarśana means a firm belief in the fundamental principles of Jainism, as propounded by Jinas. Vyavahāra-samyagdarśana i.e. practical point of view may be said to be the means of niscaya-samyagdarśana i.e. real point of view. Nature of samyagdarśana as defined and expressed by different ācāryas in their works is given as follows:
The Uttarādhyayana defines samyaktva as belief in the nine categories. 1 In the Darśanapāhuda, Kundakunda also defines samyagdarśana as a firm belief in the six
Uttaradhyayana, 28.14
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0
