ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 426

Besides the practice of the above divisions of sa vara and nirjar which are the essential constituents of Jaina Yoga i.e. giving up the activities of mind, body and speech, perverse attitude, vow-less-ness, non-vigilance and passions which bind the soul have to be substituted with right attitude, taking to complete or partial vows, vigilance and conquering of passions respectively only then inauspicious yoga can be conquered and the objective of Yoga i.e. emancipation or freedom from afflictions be achieved. The above happen gradually as the soul advances on the 14 stages of spiritual development (gu asth na). The journey begins with right attitude or samyag dar ana, passes through right knowledge and right conduct and culminates in manifestation of infinite knowledge, vision, bliss and power.
The three Karmas and Gu asth nas Even though the soul has inherent capacity for emancipation, spiritual progress is not possible until the love for truth becomes a conscious pursuit. There is a tendency in the soul to run away from the circle of worldly existence. But this centrifugal tendency is thwarted by a centripetal force that keeps the soul tracing the circumference of the world process. The centripetal force consists in the passion of attraction and aversion rooted in perverse attitude 112. To conquer this centripetal force is the purpose of Yoga. The centripetal force is due to perversity and passions and has to be replaced by the centrifugal force which is love for the pure self and a deep spiritual insight.
The seat of Jaina Yoga is the self, the purpose of it is the purification of the self and the means of purification is the establishment of supremacy and full control by the self on its manifestation that has hitherto been conditioned by the senses and the mind. When the soul is ignorant of its pure state, it suffers from the Gordian knot of intense attachment and aversion. When it comes face to face with this Gordian knot of mithy tva i.e. perversity, it is termed as yath prav ttikara a. When it breaks the knot and experiences spiritual purification it is termed as apurvakara a.
The soul awakens and becomes self-conscious and this is the state of aniv ttikara a. The soul then enjoys the first dawn of enlightenment or spiritual insight (Samyag Dar ana). The journey that begins in the 4th gu asth na culminates in the 13th gu asth na that is sayoga kevali gu asth na, where the soul has become omniscient, perfect, pure, without blemish, enlightened and awakened. The three yogas of mind body, and speech are thus transcended and the soul passes through the 14th gu asth na which is the ayoga Kevali gu asth na to reach mok a which is a state of complete freedom from birth, death, old-age, disease, fear, sorrow, poverty, karmas, body, delusion, perversion, ignorance, passion etc. (13), Thus we see that the journey which begins with right faith is nourished through sa vara and nirjar and culminates in the ayoga state. Yoga according to Hemachandra is the cause of final emancipation and consists in the three fold jewels of right knowledge, right attitude and right conduct'14). It is the comprehension of the self in the self by the self on account of disappearance of the eternal delusion 15)
gamika References of Yoga Jaina tradition is an ascetic tradition and has stressed upon self-control and self-conquer for spiritual welfare. Lord Mah v ra the 24th t rtha kara underwent rigorous austere and yogic practices for twelve and a half years and exercised complete silence, stillness, equanimity, compassion, renunciation, inward looking, contemplation, detachment with right attitude and right knowledge. The purpose of his yogic practices was to discover the peace within, which he eventually did after steadfast faith and total absorption of the self in the self. The c ra ga Sutra book I chapter 9 gives detailed information of the dhy na Yoga of Lord Mah vra wherein he has been called as ayatayogi i.e. he lived in the present moment. His mind, senses, intellect, feelings and subtle dispositions were all directed towards the discovery of the self 16. The values that he propounded after becoming enlightened are, non-violence, compassion, spirituality, self-esteem, steadfastness, equanimity, tolerance, multi-dimensional viewpoint, detachment etc. His teachings emphasized the physiological, psychological, sociological, environmental, emotional and spiritual well-being of a person. The Samavay ga Sutra enumerates the 32 aspects of Yoga and they are as follows (17)
To confess one's sins before the spiritual master. Not to reveal the confessions of others
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