Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

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

Page 89

Thus irrespective of whether it is called faith in fundamental reality, or viewing the self as different from the other', or cognition of soul, the message is just one. The only difference is in the words used. As regards the last definition of having faith in Deva, guru, and religion, the meaning is that when a person develops faith in these three he essentially develops faith in fundamentals. This is because when one recognizes the form of these three including Arihanta he recognizes the seven fundamentals. It may also be said that one who has faith in the fundamental reality has also faith in the form of Arihanta (etc.). In other words, without having faith in Arihanta (etc.) one can never have samyagdarśana or faith in fundamental reality. Thus faith in Arihanta (etc.) is the source of faith in fundamental reality. The source of samyagdarśana has also been accepted as samyagdarśana. Therefore, it is called phenomenal or conventional samyagdarśana, where as the earlier stated samyagdarśana is called noumenal or non-conventional or absolute samyagdarśana.
In context of karmas, samyagdarśana has three categories - Kśayika (gained through extinction of karmus), Aupaśmika (gained through suppression of karmas), and Kśayopaśmika (gained through extinction-cum-pacification of karmas). The absolute samyagdarśana is Kśayika because soul gains the sublime state only by shedding the three forms of Darsana Mohanīya kurma and four forms of Cāritra Mohanīya kurma including anger, conceit, deceit, and greed of infinite range. That is why it is called samyagdarśana with detachment. The other two categories are called conventional or with-attachment samyagdarśana.
The aforesaid detailed definitions inform us that the real form of a thing is dharma. To develop faith in the real forin of soul is absolute samyagdarśana. Thus it is dharma. As it is the motive cause in inspiring one towards real form of soul the conventional samyagdarśana is also transitively called dharma. Conventional samyagdarśana is redundant for those who have attained absolute samyagdarśanā. However, for those who are at a lower level of spiritual practices conventional samyagdarśana is not only useful but also essential. It is the means of absolute samyagdarśana. As long as it is considered a means and not the goal there is no harm. If it is considered goal, one gets stuck there only and his progress is blocked. If it is considered completely worthless one regresses to the state of
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