Jain Journal 1980 04

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

Page 20

132
Jaina teaching says that the teacher or any soul can only be an instrument or auxiliary cause in the removal of karmas. The individual soul must be ready to provide the energy or will to uncover itself. A teacher may encourage and inspire a student to make that effort, but the disciple must first open himself to the teaching and then undertake practices to implement it. Without this conviction and effort, there can be no real progress, no matter how evolved the teacher may be. Here the meaning of the three jewels of Jainism, right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct, becomes clear. The student must believe in himself and want to change; then the knowledge and experience of the teacher can enter his being and help him catch a glimpse of reality, his soul's nature. Finally this glimpse may inspire him to work or take action (căritra) to remove his karmas and be free from binding.
JAIN JOURNAL
The nature of the moment of moksa itself, the instant of absolute and final departure, reflects the way in which the need for communication, for touch, is part of all life. Though it does not occur with all souls, the final moment for many is called samudghata. In that moment, just as the soul is leaving the body, it expands to touch each point of space in the universe. There is no desire, but all souls must make this contact before their journey is complete, and so any soul that has not yet touched each space point will expand to do so in the final instant. So up until the very last, the life is compelled or driven by some force to have a touch, to communicate in a way, with the universe.
This need to touch and to be in touch with other forms of life lies at the very root of our bondage. Our fear of separation, of flying free, our need and longing to be secure is a desire to hold, to grasp, to be in contact with matter of some kind. A baby feels secure and plays happily when placed on its stomach where it can feel the solid touch of earth and balance itself safely. It cries and flails its limbs in fright when placed on its back. Why do we fear falling? Why do people who begin to meditate feel afraid when they experience a floating, "out-of-body" sensation? Is it not because our security comes from the solid touch of matter? And on a subtler level, this desire is the source of our contact with matter, the sticking of consciousness to karmas. As long as we have not conquered this fear of separation, we cannot be free.
Thus Jaina philosophy teaches us that we are all on a journey towards ultimate liberation, freedom from involvement with matter, from contact with karmas. Attraction and repulsion are the forces which drive us back and forth as we struggle to be free; they are the evidence of the influence of matter on soul and they display themselves as desires in