________________
198
Jaina Acāra : Siddhanta aura Svarupa
auspicious activities. When the dirt enters uninhibited the soul is necessarily allied. This contemplation is to be strict in checking the inflow of Karma. When the pipeline is plugged no water can enter inside.If you mean to keep your soul immaculate, stop the entry of undesirable Karma to begin with.
The Ninth contemplation is just the reverse, not of association but disassociation of Karma from the soul. The eighth and ninth contemplations are complementary to each other. Your room can but be partially clean by keeping entry points closed, but the dirt inside has to be thrown out, otherwise it will accumulate to take the form of a big heap.
This is Nirjarā which may be voluntary or involuntary. The automatic dissociation of karma is possible only when you nourish no desires concerning this world and the next. A spiritual aspirant's contemplation must never be tainted by even a trace of desire. The better way of comprehending the topic is to contemplate with some desire or without desire at all. All desireless contemplation is confrontation with untoward incidents and unusual happenings. This may at times mean indulgence in sins. The Aupäptikasūtra clearly states that there are ladies who do not go astray not because they are good but because of their fear of Mrs. Grundy. Ignorance also may lead to your attempting dissociation of Karma from the soul. Desirous of mundane pleasures they suffer severe hardships. This cannot liberate them, even though some of them may be eligible for entry into heaven. The dissociation of Karma with perfect knowledge is superior to other types. An ignorant aspirant may fast for a month and end it by a nominal morsel but it is all misdirected. The knowledgeable aspirant desires neither this world nor the next one. His penance is never misconceived. It is always for release from the cycle of birth and death. It is but to make the right use of life.
The Tenth contemplation is of piety or righteousness. Samantabhadra says that what saves you from the perils of the world and leads you to liberation is dharma. Vyāsa says that is nothing but conduct which is a sumtotal of everything that is virtuous to the exclusion of all that is exil. It is the excellence of both conduct and thought, of both theory and practice. Franklin says that the world is so very bad inspite of religions. What will be the world like in their absence ! This contemplation on piety for no ulterior end is the right type to purify your soul without any let or hindrance.
The Eleventh contemplation is to transcend transmigration. 'Jiva' means the conscious spirit and 'Ajīva' means the unconscious non-spirit. It includes not only matter, but also space, motion, rest and time. Spirit, matter motion, rest and space are astikāyas or substances which possess constituent parts extending in space, while time is the only category which has no extension in space. The Jivas are either liberated or bound. The bound souls
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org