Jainism as a Faith

Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya
Publisher: Z_Kesarimalji_Surana_Abhinandan_Granth_012044.pdf

Page 5

Jainism as a Faith
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PROCESS OF LIBERATION The soul cannot be freed from worldly miseries so long as these Karmas are not got rid of. It is only by annihilation or separation of the Karmas that the soul can realise its own nature and obtain that parmanent bliss which is the monopoly only of the liberated soul. The process of the Bondage of soul has already been described above and now we shall deal with the process of its liberation.
Samvara and Nirjarā When a pond full of water has got to be emptied, the inlets of water closed upto stop further inflow. The gathered water is partly taken out by hands or pumps and then it is left exposed to the bright sun to be dried. The method of liberating the soul is also of the same kind. First of all, the inflow of Karmas has got to be stopped. Then the existing Karmas have got to be destroyed. The first process is technically called Sarvara and the second process is called Nirjarā. We shall describe the same in brief.
Samvara Sarvara is just the opposite of Asrava. Asrava is the inlet or gate-way for the entrance of Karmic matter. Sarvara is the lock-out or keeping out of the Karmic matter. The different kinds of Samvara are as follows.
Different kinds of Samvara (1) Saryaktwa-It means true faith or right belief. It is both negative and positive at the same ti 22. It is staunch faith and belief in the realities of the world and avoidance of all perverted beliefs or notions. The negative and the positive sides of the Samyaktwa have been very properly put in the following quotations from Sūtrakstānga Sutra, one of the holy scriptures of the Jainas.
(a) Do not maintain that world (Loka) does not exist, but maintain that it exists. (b) Do not maintain that Jiva and Ajiva do not exist, but that they exist. (c) Do not maintain that virtue and vice do not exist, but that they exist. (d) Do not maintain that Asrava and stoppage of Asrava (Sarvara) do not exist, but that
they exist. (e) Do not maintain that Bondage and Liberation do not exist, but that they exist. (f) Do not maintain that the experiencing of the effects and the annibilation of Karmas
do not exist, but that they exist. (g) Do not maintain that Dharma and Adharma do not exist, but that they exist. (h) Do not maintain that activity and non-activity do not exist, but that they exist. (i) Do not maintain that Anger and Pride do not exist, but that they exist. (i) Do not maintain that Deceit and Greed do not exist, but that they exist. (k) Do not maintain that Love and Hatred do not exist, but that they exist. (1) Do not maintain that the Circle of Births does not exist, but that it exists. (m) Do not maintain that there is no such thing as perfection and non-perfection, but
there is such a thing. (n) Do not maintain that there is no place exclusively reserved for those who attain
perfection, but that there is such a place.
One who believes as enjoined above and does not believe otherwise is called Samyaktwi. By becoming a Samyaktwi one removes Mithyātwa and stops the further ingress of Karmas.