Jaina Mysticism and Other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 55

the highest social Truth and likewise the highest Spiritual Truth and we shall discuss later on that Spiritual Truth and Ahiṁsā are also identical. (Heifh fafat gods i prelay Arrait Hai quai am stafa). (ORA Hela समभिजाणाहि। सच्चस्स आणाए से उवट्टिए मेधावी मारं तरति)"
Spiritual Perspective of Ahimsā : In the previous section we have dwelt upon Ahirsā as a social value. This view regards Ahimsā as 'other' oriented and is concerned with the progress and development of the 'other'. It is a concrete form of Ahimsā and embodies diverse patterns according to social needs. It has only outward reference and is deeply dedicated to social amelioration. When Acarya Samantabhadra announces that in this world Ahimsā. of living beings is equivalent to Brahman, the metaphysical reality, he is propounding Ahiṁsā as the highest social value (IFAT CAT Mila Alcci TERH)4 on the contrary, the Puruşārthasiddhyupāya moves in a different direction when it unambiguously expresses that non-emergence of attachment, aversion etc. on the surface of self is Ahimsā. (37agufa: eing rullahi varuthfa). This pronouncement has a deep inward reference and regards Ahimsā as a spiritual value. This method of dealing with Ahimsā obliges us to peep into one's own inner life, so that attachment and aversion along with their ramifications like anger, pride, deceit and greed are completely got rid of. The Praśnavyākarana Sūtra designates Ahirsā as Nirvana (facalut), Samadhi (H478), Supreme tranquility (siat), happiness (94737), super satisfaction (Parait) and purity (fan) and so on." Along with this the spiritual perspective of Ahimsā is manifested in recognising Paramātman as the Summum. Bonum,' in describing Samayasāra beyond Niścaya and Vyavahāra as the spiritual goal to be achieved,"? in enuniciating Svasamaya as the sublime ideal to be aimed at 8 and in delineating knowledge-consciousness as the spiritual end of aspirant's endeavours.' The Arhat or Siddha state is the state of knowledge-consciousness, the state of omniscience and bliss. In all these manifestations of spiritual Ahimsā, there occurs non-emergence of attachment and aversion as pointed out by the Puruşārthasiddhyupāya. In other words, we may say that even the slightest fall
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Jaina Mysticism and other essays