Spiritual Awakening and other Essays

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

Page 59

show us the way to spiritual growth, satisfaction and selfrealisation. Axiological consciousness is very much different from descriptive consciousness produced by metaphysical curiosity of the human mind. So the Jaina Acaryas have propounded two axiological Nayas, namely Niścaya and Vyavahāra for properly evaluating the manifested and unmanifested Paryayas of self. Thus we have axiological Anekānta and the metaphysical Anekānta.
(iv) Meaning of two axiological Nayas :
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The Niścaya Naya grasps the soul in its undefiled state of existence in contradistinction to the Vyavahāra Naya which describes the self as bound, impure and the like. No doubt, we are in the defiled form of existence from beginningless past, but the Niścaya Naya reminds us of our spiritual magnificence and glory. It prompts the sullied self to behold its spiritual heritage. It endeavours to infuse and instill into our minds the imperativeness of Suddha Bhāvas after abundantly showing us the empirical and evanescent character of Subha and Asubha Bhāvas that bind the soul to mundane existence. It does not assert that the soul is at present perfect but simply affirms that the self ought to attain the height illuminated by it. It has the force of 'ought' and not of 'is', but this force is valid for empirical selves. Niścaya Naya points to the potentiality of the empirical self to become pure and enjoy its unalloyed status.
Briefly, we may say that to make Anekāntic reality intelligible from the metaphysical perspective, Dravyarthika and Paryāyārthika Nayas are necessary and to make an axiological assessment of Anekāntic reality from the spiritual perspective, Niścaya and Vyavahāra Nayas cannot be dispensed with.
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Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays