Jain Journal 2012 07

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

Page 13

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLVII, NO. 1-IV JULY.-JUNE 12-13
In Jainism Patañjali's three internal limbs of yoga, such as dhāranā, dhyāna and samādhi are attached to Jaina concept of meditation. Dhāraņā and dhyāna may be summed up in various stages of dharma-dhyāna and samādhi in sukla-dhyana. In other way we can also sum up patañjali's dhāranā and dhyāna into Jaina concept of dhyāna and samadhi into Jain concept of kāyatsarga. Here one should know that in Patañjali's yoga system dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi, these three are considered as internal limbs of yogic sādhanā and being them internal limbs, they are not independent from each other. But they have some connective link such as without dhāraņā, dhyāna is not possible and without dhyāna, samādhi is not possible.
Though in this canonical age meditation along with some other limbs of Aștānga Yoga were in practice in Jainism, but in this age Jaina-sādhanā was centralized in three fold or four fold path of emancipation i.e. right faith, right knowledge, right conduct and right austerity. While considering the right conduct and right austerity as one Umāswati and some other Jaina Acāryas prescribed the three fold path of emancipation. This three fold path of emancipation is generally acceptable in Hinduism and Buddhism also. In Hinduism it is acceptable as Bhakti-yoga, Uñāna-yoga and Karma yoga, while in Buddhism as sīla, samādhi and Prajñā. We can compare right knowledge with Jñāna-yoga of Gītā and Prajñā of Buddhism. Similarly right faith with Bhakti-yoga of Gītā and samyak samādhi of Buddhism and right conduct with Karma yoga of Gītā and sila of Buddhism
Synthesis of Defferent Yogas: But here we must be aware of the fact that where as some Hindu thinkers hold that the cultivation of any one of these three constituents is sufficient to attain emancipation, but Jaina thinkers not agreeable with them, they hold that absence of any one of these makes emancipation is not possible, thus Jainism believes in the synthesis of these three yogas.
Here it is to be noted that this three fold path of Jainism can be