Spiritual Awakening and other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 12

Right Knowledge (value knowledge) and Right Conduct (Ethico-Spiritual Conduct) are Possible After Attaining Right Belief (Spiritual awakening):
A question is apt to be asked: how is right knowledge (value knowledge) acquired through right belief (spiritual awakening)? This may be replied by saying that knowledge becomes the cause of spiritual unfoldment only after right belief (spiritual awakening) is kindled and stirred up. Here the prefix right does not possess epistemological significance, but is indicative of spiritual value. Even though the possessor of right belief (spiritual awakening) cognizes rope as a snake which is no doubt epistemologically invalid, yet his knowledge is announced to be right. On the contrary, the man destitute of right belief (spiritual awakening) even though knows a things as it is after dispelling doubt, perversity and indefiniteness, he does not deserve to be called spiritually a right knower. Hence epistemological ascertainment has little to do with right knowledge which originates from spiritual awakening (right belief). In other words, in the context of supermundane experience, right knowledge (value knowledge) presupposes right belief (spiritual awakening). Though they are related as cause and effect, yet they are born simultaneously, just as light comes with the lamps. Simultaneous emergence cannot annul their distinctness. Again, right conduct (ethico-spiritual conduct) is preceded by right belief (spiritual awakening) and right knowledge (value knowledge). In their absence conduct even of the highest type will ever remain incapable of transcending morality, hence spiritualism will remain shrouded in mystery. The Darśana Pāhuda tells us that the right belief (spiritual awakening) engenders right knowledge (value knowledge) by virtue of which the virtuous and vicious paths are
Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays