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L: PAÑCALINGĪPRAKARAŅAM
Darśan And Samyagdarśan -
Darśan is defined as an expression of a living being's capacity for discrimination or the way it perceives things. In its true sense, it can be said to be the intuitive perception coupled with discretion. It has also been said to be the general view or conation of things by anybody in the general environment around oneself rather than specific perception or cognition, which is termed as knowledge. Thus a person or a living being for that matter, endowed with darśan develops a wider world-view rather than a limited one. This is what distinguishes conation (darśan) from cognition (jñāna). This very conation when coupled with right discrimination that can give its holder a right perspective on things that he perceives around himself, becomes right-conation or Samyagdarśan. It goes without saying that the outlook of a conative seer is much wider in its scope and it includes diverse points of view. In other words we can say that a seer has a synoptic view or a holistic view on things, which is completely comprehensive. In the context of a religious philosophy, however, it would mean having the right-faith or an unwavering belief in that faith. This brings us to the two meanings given to the word Samyagdarśan – 1. Right-view and 2. Right-faith. In the first sense, the Jaina view ascribes it the quality of having a right-view by rising above attachment and aversion. It implies that one rises above dogma and parochialism. In the second sense it is synonymous with deep devotion and firm belief in the views presented by the Prophets that propounded the faith we follow. Here, it is implied that we, the ordinary believers are not wise enough to have a completely
