Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

Page 114

Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
114
essences, white and red in colour, are contained within the channels or chakras; the white essence in Sahasr ir and the red in An hat Chakra. Our physical body is made of 5 skandhas, the aggregates that compose the whole mental and physical existence. The experience of form, feeling, perception, intellect, consciousness and ego are due to these aggregates.
According to the Jain scriptures the dissolution progresses, starting from the grossest (universe) to the subtlest (soul) and in the process the five bodies: audrika (physical), vaikriya (multi-shape), 'hraka (conscious), tejas (energy) and karman (causal) bodies, discussed in Chapter 6, dissolve one by one. The process of dying thus is very complex and interdependent process. It consists of two main phases: outer dissolution when senses and the elements of the body dissolve and inner dissolution of the gross and subtle thought states and emotions. Beyond the physical body is the aura, which extends far in space. The first one to dissolve is the aura and with it begins the dissolution of the perception of the Universe. The Universe does not dissolve in reality but its perception dissolves and, as far as the person is concerned, its dissolution is complete with the dissolution of senses. For example if a dying person hears sound but can not make out words then the hearing consciousness ceases to function. When one sees the outline of an object but not the details then the vision consciousness starts to dissolve. Similarly the senses of smell, taste and touch go away, one by one, but not necessarily in that order. When all these senses are completely gone, then the perception of the universe disappears. According to the Tibetan book of the dead (by Robert Thurman) and the Tibetan book of living and dying (by Sogyal Rinpoche), thereafter starts the dissolution of the five elements making the physical body: earth (bones and muscles, organs of smell and odours), water (blood, liquids of the body, organ of taste), fire (energy, organs of vision, warmth), air (prina, organs of physical sensation, touch etc) and space (cavities of the body, organs of hearing and sound). Summarising from these books, each of these elements of the physical body (earth, water, fire, air and space), sequentially withdraws into the next one by one. First, the earth element (bones, muscles, etc) starts withdrawing in the water element. The dying person looses all strength, can not support himself, and gets a feeling as if he is being crushed under a mountain or sinking underground. Symptoms like cheeks sinking in and black stains appearing on the teeth or ear lobes curving in appear. Mind becomes drowsy and delirious and illusions like shimmering mirage appears. Then the water element starts withdrawing in the fire element. The dying person looses control over body fluids and there is discharge from eyes, nostrils etc. Tongue, mouth and lips feel dry and sticky. The dying person