ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 273

In the absence of true knowledge of self and non-self the whole of mankind is groping for happiness in the darkness of uncertainly and doubt. If knowledge is false, the belief or faith will definitely be false and vice versa. A true aspirant for liberation has to understand the nature of these substances and realities as the knowledge of which is condition precedent to right belief (insight).
As per Jainism, religion which is the essence and pure never changes. K rtikeya has defined the religion in Krtikeya Anuprek verse 476 as under:
Dhammo vatthu sah vo, khamadi bhavo ya dasviho dhammo. Raya att yam ca dhammo, jv am rakkh am dhammo. //476//
Meaning: The intrinsic inherent nature of substance is 'Dharma.' Supreme forbearance, modesty etc, ten types of pure dispositions of the soul are 'Dharma'. The triple jewels (right faith, right knowledge and right conduct) are 'Dharma' and protecting the life of all living beings is 'Dharma', i.e., "Nonviolence is the highest religion". This is as propounded by omniscient Lord Mah vra 2500 years ago along with the doctrine of total detachment.
2.0 Characteristics of Omniscience As per Jainism the omniscient monks with super natural corporeal body are called 'Arihantas'. The omniscient souls without corporeal body are called 'Siddhas'. Both classes of souls are termed as true spiritual leaders (sacce deva) the adjective "true" has been used to differentiate them from celestial beings that are also termed as gods but they are not omniscient.
The main adjectives or characteristics of Arihantas are:
V tar ga' i.e., totally detached from the worldly things and affairs, free from delusion, illusion, attachment- aversion, all sorts of passions, birth and death and 18 types of blemishes, viz. hunger, thirst etc.
'Omniscient', i.e., perfect knowledge by which the whole of the universe all substances with their attributes and modifications) and non- universe are reflected / known.
pta', i.e., true counselor or guide. This adjective has some specialty of its own. One who is wholly detached and omniscient is a kevali. All kevalis are not wise counselors or guides and the siddhas have no use of words, so only Trtha karas whose divine sermons / sounds (letter less speech or words) show the true path to liberation to auspicious beings (Bhavya J vas), are called true' pta'. Literally' pta' means "He who has attained/achieved worth attaining /achieving".
2.1 Scriptural proof with respect to Omniscience Defining omniscience, Um Sv mi in Tattv rtha Sutra has written the aphorism Sarva-dravya pary ye kevalsya, i.e., the subject of omniscience is all the attributes and modifications of three tenses (past, present, and future) and its owner knows them all simultaneously in one unit of time (samaya) without any instrumentality of senses and mind. In the annotation of this aphorism Pujyap da in Sarv rtha Siddhi says that "the past, present and future modifications of all the substances are infinite and omniscience operates in all these. These are no substances or mass of modifications, which are beyond the all-pervading omniscience. The splendor of omniscience is without any limits".
Kundakunda in his 'Pravacanas ra' verse no. 39 says that
'If the unborn modifications of future and the dead ones of the past are notknown to the omniscient (sarvajna) omniscient, then who will call this sentience as divine'.
Am tacandra in Tattva Prad pik annotation verse no. 200 has written clearly
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0