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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
elimination, right conduct manifests itself. Thus right inclination, right knowledge and right conduct which is in consonance with the former TWO-all these three combined are the means of liberation.
Spiritual-Mental-Colouration (Leśyā) Now, we propose to deal with the topic of spiritual-mental-colouration (leśyā), depending on the Jaina scriptures.
Bondage and liberation mainly depend on mental states. So, it is necessary to pay attention to the consideration as to what type of mental states are associated with the activities we undertake.
Mental states are never uniform. They never remain uniform, but go on changing. Sometimes, they are intensely black, highly defiled, excessively evil; sometimes black, defiled, evil; sometimes grey, less defiled, less evil; sometimes evil-cum-good, impure-cum-pure; sometimes good or pure; sometimes better, purer; and sometimes best, purest, highly luminous. This is what we all experience. These mental states or transformations are called leśyā. A crystal assumes the colour of a thing placed in its vicinity. Similarly, mental states change according as the mind comes in contact with different substances, that is, aggregates of atoms. When man is angry, we all notice as to how the influence of his mental state of anger is seen on his face. At that time, his face turns red with anger and becomes deformed and distorted. This is the outward appearance of the agitation reflected in mind, of the aggregate of atoms of anger; it spreads over the face. On account of its association with various types of aggregates of atoms, mind undergoes different transformations or experiences varied influences. They are called leśyā. Such aggregates of atoms or physical substances are classified into six divisions, viz., those of black colour, those of blue colour, those of grey colour (which is like the colour of the brinjal flowers), those of yellow colour (which is like the colour of the rising sun), those of the lotus-colour (resembling the colour of gold) and those of luminous white colour. Of these six types of substances, the mental state assumes the colour of that type of substance in whose vicinity the
hind happens to be. This colouration of mental states is called leśyā. So it is said:
krsnādidravyasācivyāt pariņāmo ya ātmanaḥ / sphaţikasyeva tatrāyaḥ “leśyā’ śabdaḥ pravartate // The meaning is: Just as a pure crystal assumes different states in the vicinity
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