Jain Journal 2000 07

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

Page 31

SADHAK:SĀMYAGDARŠANA
accompanied with pain. They are never full and unadulterated. They are preceded and /or followed by suffering. They are transient, passing and short-lived. What people in general consider happiness is mostly sensual pleasure which by its very nature is dependent on worldly obiects pleasing to our senses. Prasamasukha, i.e. happiness derived from or resulting from calmness and equanimity is free from all these shortcomings.
This calmness or equanimity and consequent peace and happiness in our lives results from subsidence of gross forms of anger, pride, deceitfumess and greed (anantānubandhi kaşāya or passions) and by having a proper attitude towards life and by understanding and accepting the real nature of things. Accept the reality of things as they are and accept what you cannot change is a sure prescription for avoidance of stress and depression which are so common and prevalent in modern day life.
Samvega results in a man having great enthusiasm for righteousness and avoidance of evil deeds. The obverse of samvega is nirveda or a spirit of renunciation. Some consider it a separate characteristic. It leads to disinterest in sensual pleasures, disenchantment with worldly things and possessions and detachment or renunciation in life. Yet another characteristic of samyagdarśana is anukampā (compassion), which is both negative and positive. In its negative sense it is ahimsa (non-violence) and in its positive sense it is compassion, goodwill, fellow-feeling. The four-fold bhāvanā (feelings/ reflections or mental dispositions) of maitri (amity or fellow feeling towards all living beings), pramoda (appreciation of the merits of others), karunā (unstinted sympathy and compassion for those in distress) and madhyastha (equanimity towards the perversely inclined) are considered part of anukampā and are golden principles for social intercourse and happy and peaceful life in the world. Astikya is belief in the principles of Truth. It may be said to correspond to six fundamental truths of Shrimad Rajchandra, viz. the soul exists, it is eternal, it is the author of its activities, that therefore it is responsible for the consequences of its activities, it aspires for liberation and that there are means to achieve liberation. Samyag-darsana (right perception), samyag-jñāna (right knowledge) and samyak-cārtra (right conduct) combined are the means to achieve liberation (mokşa).
The affirmation, faith or conviction (astikāya or sraddhā) about the existence of soul, distinct from non-self, makes for samyag-darsana, forms the basis of understanding the reality of things or the fundamentals of life (tattvas) and leads to spiritual awakening and