Jain Journal 1995 10

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

Page 33

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the lot of all other living organisms, namely karmic bondage and the innate energy of release from such a bondage. The Jain Philosophy says that jiva in its pure or unfettered sense is anata jñāna, ananta darsana, ananta virya and ananta sukha i. e. perfect knowledge, perfect vision, perfect strength and perfect bliss.24 A liberated being is described in this way also. What obscures this perfection is the karmic dust smeared on the jiva. It is this dust that has formed the karma sarira and which is the cause for the varieties in organic life in all its dimensions such as intellect, physique, emotions, family, state of existence and the like. Hence the cause for one's state of existence is not traced to nature, fate, accident, gods etc. but to the karmic residue in a jiva. Though circumstances and other similar causes might be the reasons for one's being what he or she or it is, yet in an 'absolute sense', it is karma that is the deciding factor.
What prevents a human person to achieve its pure ideal of ananta catuştaya, namely the above mentioned four-fold perfections, such as, perfect knowledge etc. is the 'inflow' of karmic paritcles into the space of jiva due to various reasons, 25 like, perversity of outlook or improper vision (mithyātva), absence of determinism or vowlessness (avirati), indifference to higher values of life or neglience (pramāda), intense passions (kaṣāya) and the three kinds of acitivity of speech, mind and body (yoga). It is due to such an inflow of karma, a human person (for that matter any living being) is far from 'samyakta' or the 'right' knowledge, vision and conduct.
JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXX, No. 2. October 1995
Incidentally Jaina soteriology points out an ethics in the form of a 'Tripple Jewel', samyag jñāna, samyag darsanaand samyak caritra26 (Right knowledge, Right vision and Right conduct), an 'integral' approach to life. Though knowledge and faith are absolute requirements for a jiva, yet the goal or the objective of a jiva (including a human person) namely the complete shedding up of karma27 cannot be achieved without an ethical way of life. Without conduct or morality a fiva with knowledge and faith is like a lame person.
Samvara and Nirjară are the two of the seven Jaina metaphysical principles that describe the ethical path of a jiva. Samvara refers to the stopping' of the karmic inflow just as in the case of cleaning up of a tank with muddy water. First one needs to put a stop to the
24. Sārvārthasiddhi (a commentry on the Tattvartha-sutra by Pujyapāda)
25. Tattvärtha-sutra, 8. 1.
26. Samayasāra, 7,10.
27. Liberation or Mokṣa is a state free from all Karmas due to shedding of the karmas (Tattvärtha-sutra, 10.2-3).
x.4.