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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 Sutra 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.),
Mok a or Emancipation
B hma Sutra begins with 'Athato B hmajijn s , for the Mim ms Sutra and Vai esika it is 'Athato Dharmajijň sa'for Jainism it can be said 'Athato Tattvajijjñs, i.e. philosophical speculations are rooted in curiosity for B hma, 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 life16
The Bhagavati Sutra 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 Mok a, enjoying infinite knowledge,
vision, bliss
power.
and
Chapter 14.10 records the differences between the embodied perfect omniscient and the disembodied perfect souls in Mok a. Chapter 12.2 reveals that since beginning-less time infinite souls have reached Mok a and will continue to do so in future, but still the world will never become empty of souls. Those who are subject to sensual pleasures tighten the knot of karmas, extend their duration, intensify them and wander endlessly in the worldly sojourn. Those who conquer the sensual pleasures and themselves attain Mok a and enjoy complete freedom and bliss. Chapter 12.9 tells us about five kinds of Gods and says that the Arhats who preach the eternal path of purification and emancipation and the siddhas who have attained Mok a are the Gods of the Gods and supreme redeemers.
Some other important Notes on the Bhagavati Sutra
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Of all the A gas and Up gas it is the most voluminous one exhaustive in contents. The topics of living, non-living, universe and its constituents, different philosophical concepts, etc are discussed in depth. The minutest details of life, breath, food, genetics, etc are thoroughly analysed. The discussion about atom and the atomic theory are very scientific. The topics discussed from different aspects reveal the Anek ta style of presentation. Most of the enquiries were made by Gautama ga adhara but we come across people of other faiths who came and discussed freely with Lord Mah vra. Details of the various hells, heavens and celestial beings also figure here. Description of the plant-bodied beings, i.e. the vanaspati jagat is made in chapters 11, 22, 23, etc. A detailed description of Makkhaliputra Go laka is done in ataka 15, of Jam li in 9.33, 22, 11.9, 11.11, 13.6. Details of the Karma Theory, the cause of influx of bondage etc give new insight on the topic. For the first time ma gal cara a or salutation is found in the A ga literature in Bhagavati Sutra The greatness and sublime features of ascetic life are extolled in many places. Bhagavati Sutra is important for its contents of spirituality. A detailed analysis of tapas i.e. austerities is made in Chapter 25.7 which includes the various divisions and subdivisions of fasting, expiation, scriptural study, meditation etc. These explanations give an insight of Jaina beliefs and practices
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0
