Introduction to Jaina Sadhna

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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The Main Objective of Jainism : 27
contexts. Sometimes it means a balanced state of mind which is undisturbed by any kind of sorrow, emotional excitement, pleasures, pains, achievements or disappointments. Sometimes it refers to the kind of personality which is completely free from the vectors of aversion and attachment, that is, a dispassionate personality with a mental equanimity. Tir word Samatā also means the feeling of equality with the fellow-beings. Loosely speaking, it also conveys the meaning of social equality and social integration, Ethically, the term 'Sama or Samyak' means rightness. Inspite of all its different shades of meanings the term samatā is associated with some kind of a psychological state of mind and it has some impact on our external social and individual adjustments.
In a Jaina text known as Bhagavatisūtra, there is a conversation between Lord Mahāvira and Gautama. Gautama asked Mahāvira - "What is the nature of soul" ? and Mahāvira answered, "The nature of soul is equanimity." Gautama again asked, "What is the ultimate end of soul" ? and Mahāvira replied, "The ultimate end of soul is also equanimity (Viyāhapannatti, 1.9).
The view of Lord Mahāvira that the real nature of soul is equanimity (samatā ) is further supported by Ācārya Kundakunda. Kundakunda's famous work known as Samayasāra, in which Jaina spirituality reaches its culmination, deals with the nature of soul. In the whole of Jaina literature he is the only ācārya who used the word 'samaya' or 'Samayasāra' for soul (Ātman). I think the Ācārya has purposely used this word for Ātman. So far as I know, no commentator of Samayasāra has raised the question : "Why has Kundakunda used the word 'Samaya' for Jiva or soul ?" I think the word samaya may be a Prākrta version of Saṁskṛta-word samah + yah which means one who has the quality of equanimity, i.e., Samatā.