Jain Journal 1968 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 35

Basic Religious Attitudes in Jainism
Jñāna—Karma(Cāritra)-Bhakti(Sraddhā)
In a paper on above topic presented at the All-India Seminar organised by the Centre of Advanced Studies in Philosophy of the Visva-Bharati University on November 19, J. C. Sikdar of L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad said in part as follows:
Religion constitutes a sphere of individual and collective existence in which human activities are devoted to the two-fold pursuits-dharma (virtue) and mokşa (liberation). Human mind searches out something universal which can be attained by only supersensuous consciousness. This supersensuous consciousness, which reigns supreme as the revealing vision of the universal reality, is the subject-matter of religion.
Tattvajñāna (knowledge of Reality) is essential for every religion. So it is laid down in Jainadharma that first is jñāna (knowledge) about the nature of beings or souls (jīvas) then comes dayā (act of kindness) i.e., self-restraint?. A fully self-controlled monk holds the stand-point by doing action (kriyā) based on knowledge (jñāna). An ignorant man who does not know jivas (beings) like earth-bodied, etc., and ajīvas (nonbeings) like liquor, gold, etc., the breakers of self-restraint, shall not know self-control.
There are infinite beings and all of them desire bliss (or happiness). There are two classes of beings according to the degree of their development, viz., apar yāptaka (less developed) and paryāptaka (more developed). The conception of the former is confined to the external means, while that of the latter admits only of spiritual qualities. The happiness of the first is dependent on external objects and that of the second is independent. Dependent happiness is called kāma (gratification of desire), while independent happiness is called mokṣa (liberation). Both kāma and mokşa are puruşārtha (effort). These two aims of life distinguish two types of men, viz., extrovert (bahirmukhin) and introvert (antarmukhin the first one looks to the pleasures of the physical world, while the second one looks into the inside of the world for searching out something tangible in life and Nature. So kāma which is the gratification of desires creates new desires, but dharma (virtue) is a means to achieve the goal of human life, i.e., spiritual liberation (mokşa) from all bondages.