________________
(
23.1.76
On
A STUDY OF THE JAINA THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE JON MATIJÑANA IN THE SABHĀŞYA TATTVĀRTHĀDHIGAM ASŪTRA
Yensho Kapakura
The Tattvarthadhigama sūtra (the rest abbreviated as T.S.) of Umgsvati which has just been translated into Japanese with notes in the previous chapter gives a general outline of the doctrines of Jainism. From the translated text alone it is difficult to grasp its meaning as the style of sūtra aims at the tersest possible expression, thus the explanatory notes were attached to the individual sūtras for clarifying the purport. So much for the exposition of the individual sūtras, but we have not yet questioned about the construction of the text. The logical construction of this text or the doctrinal system of this work involves with many problems yet to be investigated. Among them we would like to take up the theme of the theory of knowiedge, out of which a critical inquiry into matijñana in particular is attempted below as to how its contents are classified and synthesized by the author in his T.S. and his auto-commentary. The number in the parenthesises indicates the sequence of the sätra in the 1st chapter wherein falls the subject in question.
It reads, "samyag-darsana-jhana-cāritrāni mokşa-margah (1)'. In another word, the religious end-in-view of the Jainas is accomplished by attaining samyag-darśana, samyag-jñāna and saniyag-caritra, which are sald to stand in the relation of ekatarabhave' py-asadhanaini.' Amongst these three jewels constituting the necessary condition for mokşa, samyag-darsana is defined as 'taltuurtha-śraddhanam samyag-darśanam (2)' and tattva denotes the sevenfold principles of reality, i, e, juajtyasrana-bandha-samvara-nirjaru-mokşas-tattvam (4). T'attvartha-śrad dhuna is commented upon, 'lattvena bhavato niscitm-ity-arthah...ta eva carthas-teşam sraddhanam', thus meaning determined faith, so the equivalent of samyag-darśana in the closest sense to the original is Rechtes Glauben or right belief as so translated by H. Jecobi and J. L. Jaini. In that case Jaina moksa mzirga must be said as consisting of sumyag-śraddhana, jñāna and cãritra.
Samyag-darśana is taught, "tan-nisargad-adhigamad-va (3)' Out of the two, nisarga refers to the case wherein samyag-darśana reveals itself ionately as the result of good karmas of the previous birth. It is therefore
This short article is taken from Dr. Yensho Kanakura's 'Indo-Seishin Bunka no Kenkyu' (A Study of Indian Spiritual Civilization - Jainism). The translation
is by Sazuko Ohira. Sambodhi 4,3-4
