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The Path of Arhat: A Religious Democracy
Nine Tattvas - What is this "Tattva', the essence? The essence of the whole existence is the pursuit of steps to freedom. But what are these steps ? To understend these steps is to understand the meaning of essence. Therefore, the Jaina seers have termed these steps as Tattvas. According to them there are Nine Tattvas, namely — Jíva, Ajiva, Papa, Punya, Asrava, Bandha, Samvara, Nirjara and Mokşa. We have already discussed about 'Jiva' and 'Ajiva'. The word 'Asrava' means influx. It suggests influx of Karmas -- good as well as bad. ‘Bandha' means 'bondage' suggesting the bondage of soul by karmas. 'Saṁvara' means stoppage, it suggests the stoppage of influx of karmas, 'Nirjarā' means shedding, that of accumulated karmas; Mokşa means final freedom, salvation.
The significance of these nine tattvas, which comprehend the whole process of bondage and freedom of the soul and hence these also constitute the foundation and metaphysical structure of Jaina Philosophy, will be dealt in later chapters. Thus, if one proceeds with the belief in these Tattvas, his Darśana is Samyag or Right.
(2) Samyag Jñana — With this ‘Samyag Darsana' one proceeds further, through scriptures tries to know more about these Tattvas, their role in life and way to proceed onwards on the path to salvation. This is the stage of acquiring proper knowledge.
There has been a good deal of debate on the question whether 'Darśana' precedes knowledge or vice a versa. In my humble view, this debate is fruitless and merely academic because both are interdependent. Without Darsana there would be no Jñana, the greater the acquisition of Jñana, the greater is the Darsana. An analogy of a blind and a lame-man, caught in a forest-fire, and who wanted to get at a safe place is quite apt. If both cooperated and the blind agreed to carry the lame and the lame agreed to show the path, both of them could carry themselves safely out of fire. Want of proper Darśana amounts to blindness and want of proper Jaana amounts to lameness. Darśana desires to get out of the fire of this
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