Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

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

Page 92

There are five kinds of samyagjñāna - Mati-Jñāna, Śruta-jñāna, Avadhi-Jñāna, Manaḥparyaya-jñāna, and Kevala-jñāna.
SAMYAKCĀRITRA (RIGHT COONDUCT)
Samyagdarśana is called the basis of religion but samyakcăritra is called religion itself (Cārittam khalu dhammo). Religion commences with samyagdarśana but culminates in samyakcăritra. Samyagdarśana is the conceptual form of fundamental reality. It is latent. It is conceived through samyagjñāna that without absolute samyagdarśana there is no inclination for, realization of, and faith in fundamental reality. But conduct is tangibly evident. The conduct (cāritra) with right faith (samyagdarśana) is called right conduct (samyakcăritra).
Like samyagdarśana samyakcāritra is also of two types -- niscaya (absolute) samyakcāritra and vyavahāra (conventional) samyakcăritra. To stop the outward activity in the form of indulgence of mind, speech and body and inner activity in the form of attitudes of attachment and aversion, to dwell in the self or soul is samyakcăritra. This is the state where bliss is derived out of experience of sublime form of the self; when the unity of samyagdarśana, samyagjñāna, and samyakcāritra comes into effect, and when the variance between meditater, meditation, and object of meditation, and knowledge, knower, and subject is removed. When this state becomes stable or permanent it is called the state of liberation absolutely free of karmas and cycles of rebirth. But while this state is still not permanent there continues shedding of infinite karmas and absence of bondage of new karmas.
Conventional samyakcăritra is avoiding bad and indulging in good. Here it must be understood that a person with false belief also avoids bad and accepts good, but it is still not called samyakcăritra. It is only right conduct when it is done with right faith. The conventional samyakcāritra is indulgence in good and it has traces of noble attachment. Even if it is noble, attachment causes bondage of karmas. Therefore, some people call this conduct also base. They say – "A being has followed conventional samyakcāritra many a time but it never got him liberated. This conduct is cause of bondage of karmas and not shedding of the same. Attachment does not lead to detachment. Therefore, vows, self-regulation, restraints, (etc.) or the whole conventional conduct is erroneous and thus rejectable.“ There are two