Sambodhi 1977 Vol 06

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 283

Jaina Answer to Three Questions
and turn it to his ever-existing pure self, The first two - faith and know. ledge - when they are right are known as Samyak Darśana and Samyak Jauna and the third concentration (conscious attentiveness) when it is right is known as Samyak Caritra, Mokşa Marga (Path of Liberation) is defined by Acārya Umäsvati in his monumental work known as Tattvärt baSatra thus :
Samyakdarśanajñanacaritrani mokşamärgah //
«Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, these three together, constitute the path of liberation". The definition stated above and the Tattvas which are seven in number, require an elaborate discussion. But we will have to leave them here for want of time for some other occasion,
24. In order to be receptive of the teachings about the path of liberation, mentioned above, the state of the aspirant for realisation must be such that there is subsidence of passions of anger, pride, deceit, greed etc; there is the desire for liberation, there is the grief for embodied existence; and there is compassion for all beings, including himself. This has been aptly stated by Shrimad Rajchandra thus :
Kaşāyani upašantata, matra mokşa-abhilasa / bhave kheda pranidaya, tyām ātmārtha-nivast //
("Atma-Siddhi' stanza-38)
As long as his soul does not attain this state, he does not get the path of liberation and his inner disease of ignorance of self is not removed, When bis soul attains such state, the teaching which he gets from True Guru becomes effective. He gets a clear picture of his ever--existing self as infinite knowledge and bliss, distinct from the body, mind and speech; distinct from the thought-activity of attachment, aversion and ignorance; distinct from the fragmentary knowledge of all of them. All the impure and imperfect modifications of the attributes of soul are momentory. The present state or condition appears and the old one disappears, but the soul is everexisting. It is absolutely pure, free from all Karmas, free from thoughtactivities and free from body, even in the condition of their union with him. It is a potentiality of manifesting infinite knowledge and bliss. These and infinite other attributes are his very nature. All the infinite souls. right from the smallest insect are alike. Each one of them is like the Siddha as they have potentiality of being liberated. If one contemplates over this, he will certainly cease to cause slightest hurt, knowingly, to any being, either mentally or bodily or by words. He will see a similar God in them as he himself is. Thus the right faith and knowledge of self leads invariably to cultivate the spirit of love and universal brotherhood in the