Jain Journal 1983 04

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

Page 20

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JAIN JOURNAL
context, one should not forget that though Acarya aspires liberation or mokșa in the presence of knowledge or jñāna only, he never ignores the presence of conduct etc. So knowledge is the cause of liberation or mokşa.10 In this context Jaina philosophy becomes more nearer to the Advaita Vedanta of Sankara because there, ignorance is the cause of bondage and only knowledge (jñāna) is the cause or means to liberation. But the question is : Can knowledge alone be taken as the cause of liberation ? Infact knowledge is the primary and essential cause of liberation, as it is described in Uttarādhyayana Sūtra that right conduct is impossible without right knowledge, 11 but it may not be taken as the only cause of liberation or mokşa. All the three jewels (tri-ratna) are necessary for liberation in Jaina philosophy. Here we would like to quote Acarya Kundakunda, who represents the knowledge-tradition, that liberation is not possible only by knowledge if there is no faith and also it is impossible only by faith if there is no conduct.12
Now it is clear that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. So, we conclude that, according to Jaina metaphysics, the spiritual development consists in the continuous development of the Self to a higher and higher state followed by the progressive widening of knowledge till the self becomes perfect and the knowledge becomes completely co-extensive with the Reality. This is the stage when self becomes sarvajña and paramātmā, the omniscient and the absolute Self. This is the end of sarsāra (the world) and the goal of life from where there is no return, if once attained. Kundakunda asserts that the realization of the supreme Self or Samayasāra is possible only by adopting the niscaya or real point of view which is the only way to reach the Reality.
In this context of mokṣa or liberation Sankara holds that the ignorance or ajñāna is the root cause of bondage and of all sufferings. The removal of ajñāna or ignorance is not possible without knowledge (rte jñānāt na muktih). In liberation knowledge does nothing else but it only removes the ignorance and then Reality shinesforth by itself.13 For this jnāña or perfect knowledge Sankara refers to śravaņa, manana and nididhyāsana. But before śravaņa or the study of the Vedanta-texts, Sankara refers to four-fold requirements which should be possessed by the person concerned--
a. nityānityavastuviveka, b. ihāmutrārthaphalabhogavirāga,
10 Samayasara Tika, 151. 11 Uttaradhyayana, 28/30. 12 Pravacanasara, Caritradhikara, 3. 13 Isa-Bhasya, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 18 ; Also Katha-Bhasya, 1.2.1, and 1.2.4.