Sambodhi 2004 Vol 27

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 63

Vol. XXVII, 2004
THE VICTORS AND THE VANQUISHED
An appreciation of this under-lying principle of karma and its fruition, one can have a balanced, right outlook and may not consider the others that give them pleasurable or painful experiences as their friends or foes. This is the potent potion for the ills of attachment and aversion and so for that of delusion. The destruction or subsidence (ksaya or upaśama) of delusion is the dawn of right-vision (Samyagdarśana) in whose light all information translates itself into right-knowledge (Samyagjñana) and which, in turn, paves the way for right-conduct (Samyakcăritra), which also includes the soul-purifying penance (Samyaktapa). There, it is also said that there is no (right) knowledge in the absence of (right) vision; without the right-knowledge the virtuous conduct is impossible; in the absence of virtuous conduct there is no freedom from karma and without karmic freedom there is no spiritual liberation (nirvāṇa). This quartet of four rights is the liberating formula as the rightvision yields a firm belief in the teachings of the Jina-seers, which is nothing but all revealing right-knowledge. The right restrained conduct or samyama blocks the way for fresh karmic influx or bondage and penance purifies the soul of its earlier bonded karma-mire". All karmic adjunct, thus, having been shed, the purified soul attains moksa and rises to its ultimate destination of the abode of perfect souls or Siddhaloka at the top of the universe beyond which there is nowhere to go and from where there is no coming back. This marks the end of the soul's journey to its final destination where, endowed with the infinite quartet of infinite vision, infinite knowledge, infinite bliss and infinite spiritual prowess, it lives, eternally, in perfect harmony with infiniti others of its own kind.
Conclusion -
It is this appreciation of the passions and delusion as the hindrances in the path of liberation that can firmly put us on the right liberating path. By treading which we can shed our attachment, aversion, delusion, and false-vision and overcome our passions. Becoming dispassionate we stop bonding fresh karmamatter and only have to shed the karmic baggage gathered in our repeated worldly journeys from one life to the other. This is dome by either experiencing its fruition or by undertaking penance.