Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

Author(s): Balbhadra Jain
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore

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not understanding the doctrine of Nayavāda or Syādvāda. Nayas are right only when they coexist and are complementary. If they are mutually contradicting they will be called false nayas.
SEVEN FUNDAMENTALS
According to Sanskrit grammar the etymology of the word tattva (the fundamentals) is -- its concept or essence is called tattva. Here the pronoun it relates to thing or substance. The basic or fundamental form of a thing is called tattva. The inherent meaning of that form or its essence is called tattvārtha. This term, tattvārtha, has been frequently used in Jain scriptures in context of right perception. To understand the meaning of fundamentals and have faith in it is called right perception. This will be discussed in due course but first it is necessary to know what is a fundamental and what is its true meaning. To know the form of a substance is even more essential than knowing the substance itself. Without knowing its form it is not possible to know a substance.
There are seven fundamentals – being (jīva), non-being (ajīva), inflow of karmas (āśrava), bonding with karmas (bandha), blocking the inflow of karmas (samvara), shedding the karmas (nirjarā), liberation (mokśa). This universe basically constitutes of two things - being and non-being. Of these jīva is most important because it is the motive element in the realm of spirituality. I am a being, in this world I suffer many miseries. I want to be free of these miseries. It is my perpetual desire that I become free of these miseries, I get liberated. What is my desire is the desire of all beings in this world. But till this point of time I have not been able to rid myself of these miseries. This is because I have not yet been able to know who am I? I have also not been able to know the causes of sorrow? In spite of that I have continued to make efforts to remove miseries. I am like a charlatan who is unable to diagnose the disease but continues to administer medicines. When he finds the medicine ineffective he just keeps on changing the medicine. Likewise I also keep on taking various steps to remove my malady without understanding the self and without knowing the causes of my misery. When I fail to remove the miseries I consider others responsible for that and start hating them. I become fond of the persons or things that appear to be sources of happiness for me. I have heard and seen also that when hit with a stick a dog holds the stick and chews it. I have also had attachment and aversion for the apparent sources of
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