Jainism

Author(s): Herbert Warren
Publisher: Divine Knowledge Society

Page 38

JAINISM
ing to a class; we may know it as a horse, for instance, without going into any further details as to its individual characteristics. This is the first stage of knowledge; it may be called detailless knowledge or indefinite cogni. tion (darshana). If this stage is not experienced there can be no knowledge of the thing. The second class of the energies in question includes any of our activities which prevent this first stage of knowledge. They would be such states as sleep, trance, etc., in which the senses do not work and the very first stage of knowledge by the senses is prevented. According to the Jain teachings sleep is not absolutely necessary in order to be healthy and happy, otherwise permanent omniscience could not be reached. (See clause 15 of page 50.)
This class also includes energies which prevent the first stage of psychic knowledge (avadhi).
CLASS III. (VEDANIYA)
is any activity in us which in its operation causes either pain or pleasure. These are distinguished from feelings of anger, fear, greed, sex passion, etc., because feelings of pain and pleasure as here meant in a technical sense are not necessarily so hindering to the progress of the soul that omniscience can not be attained (vedaniya aghati karma). If, however, we identify ourselves with either of them we stop, and do not continue in thought about the thing causing them. They are both unnatural to the pure soul, for there is no pain or pleasure in awareness; blissfulness is a natural quality of the pure soul and accompanies consciousness, while in man and animals