Panch sutrakam with Tika

Author(s): Chirantanacharya, Haribhadrasuri, Jambuvijay, Dharmachandvijay, V M Kulkarni
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 53

He comes to possess spiritual qualities and he excels even gods in respect of happiness. He swims against the current of this worldly life and as he observes thoroughly the duties of a monk he is called a yogin.
In his next life such a monk is born in a good family, is endowed with a handsome form, etc., and all enjoyments are at his service; and at the end of that very life he shakes off all karmans and puts an end to all miseries and attains liberation.
The mumuksu strictly observing the rules of conduct for an ascetic, attains perfection, realises his true self. He is neither sound, nor colour, nor odour, nor taste, nor touch (because of his siddha state he is absolutely free from these qualities of pudgalamatter). He exists eternally without a form-in a formless state. He is all bliss. This bliss of a siddha (a liberated soul) is absolute and independent of anything and everything else. He has absolutely no touch or contact even with space. It is the very nature of soul to rise upwards when completely freed from karmans and enjoy its innate and infinite (faith, knowledge, power and) bliss. This bliss cannot be compared with anything else. An idea of it, however, could be given by an illustration. The bliss or perfect happiness of a siddha, attained after conquering the internal enemies like attachment, hatred, etc. is infinitely greater than the happiness one gets when all of one's enemies are destroyed, diseases cured, the riches attained and the desires fulfilled. The perfect happiness of a siddha cannot be known to others just as the happiness of an ascetic cannot be known to a nonascetic or as that of good health to a sick man. The soul, even if bound by karmans from the beginningless time, can be separated from them as gold from ore (in accordance with the illustration of käñcana and upala). The concepts of bondage and liberation are best -satisfactorily and logically explained if they are related to the different states of the soul without bringing in the (Sänkhya) concept of didṛkşa (desire to see). Again, karman is neither identical with the soul, nor is it imaginary; and liberation is not just the absence of worldly existence. It is not of the nature of the destruction of santana-like the blown out/extinguished flame of a lamp (as held by some followers of Buddha).
Observance of Asceticism
In brief, the perfect happiness enjoyed by a liberated soul is infinite. The liberated souls-siddhas dwell at the top of the universe (lokākāśa). Infinite liberated souls dwell in as much place as occupied by one siddha (liberated soul). The liberated soul, as soon as freed from the eight-fold karmans rises upwards to the top of the universe just as a gourd-fruit, with its eight layers of clay completely loosened rises to the surface from the river-bed.
This doctrine of the Jinas is free of all defects and is appreciated by persons who do not attract karmans afresh and who follow the path of right conduct. Never should it be imparted to underserving or unqualified persons. This instruction is issued with a view to favouring the underserving or the unqualified in accordance with the illustration of Amakumbhodakanyāsa (pouring water in an unbaked earthen jar). Just as water when poured in an unbaked jar destroys that jar even so the imparting of secret doctrine ruins the underserving or unqualified. Not imparting it to them is, indeed, karuna (compassion) shown to them.
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--The Fruit of Asceticism