Book Title: Samkit Faith Practice Liberation
Author(s): Amit B Bhansali
Publisher: Amit B Bhansali

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Page 282
________________ Samyaktva is the first stage on the path of becoming a Jina Becoming a Jina is the culmination of the seeker's path. This is achieved in the 13th and 14th gunsthaanakas. Here, the soul attains supreme detachment and hence becomes a Jina. The first step in this journey is knowing your innerset and knowing samyaktva/samyakdarshana. It is the 4th gunsthaanaka. Here, the seeker attains firm conviction in the pure qualities of his soul. The soul looks inwards and immerses its consciousness in itself. The path of becoming a Jina commences from here. This path is known as Jainism. When the seeker has made partial progress on the path of become a Jina, he is known as a Jain. When he completes the journey, he becomes a Jina. The purer one's perspective, the more flawless one's inner self, the purer his samyaktva. When the soul immerses itself completely within itself, it becomes a Jina. Dharma is immersing oneself in one's self. Becoming a Jina is the acme of this journey of self-immersion. Samyaktva is the first stage of self-immersion. Hence, samyaktva is the harbinger of supreme detachment. It heralds the emergence of self-realisation. This is why it has been said that, "Je je anshe re niruupaadhika pano te te anshe re dharma. Samyakdrishti re gunathaanaa thakii jiiva lahe shivasharma." Samyagdharshana; (Page 77, Author: Ashokmuni, Publisher: Diwaakarjyoti Karyaalaya, Byaawar (Rajasthan), year 1981) To the extent that the soul attains niruupaadhikataa (moves from external focus to internal focus, it comes closer to dharma, to its own true nature and to becoming a Jina. The soul arises from the gunsthaanaka where samyaktva is first attained (the fourth gunsthaanaka), constantly purifying itself till it finally becomes a Jina and attains liberation. The teleology behind giving all these illustrations is to establish that samyaktva is the essence of dharma and the seeker's path. Samyaktva is far more profitable than ruling the three worlds If one were to compare the benefits of samyaktva with the benefits of ruling the three worlds (heaven, earth and hell), the benefits of samyaktva far overrule the profit of ruling the three worlds. Overlordship of the three worlds is only for a finite period of time. Once the meritorious run out, the seeker will be back to square one. On the other hand, samyaktva is lasting and results in the attainment of liberation. Overlordship of the three worlds is fleeting. None of the means of sense gratification are permanent. They are all fleeting. The pleasure of being a ruler, the wealth of a ruler, the luxurious lifestyle of a ruler and all its trappings are transient. Until and unless the seeker, 279

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