Spiritual Discipline and Practices in Jainism

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain
Publisher: Z_Vijyanandsuri_Swargarohan_Shatabdi_Granth_012023.pdf

Page 4

inflow and the disruption of the karmic matter. Then the soul attains at last the state of complete annihilation of all karmic matter which is a called spiritual salvation, the state of permanent happiness.
The living beings may be divided into two groups. The first group belongs to those who consider happiness in worldly enjoyments through external means confined to materialistic approach with lesser development. On the other hand, the second group comprises of those who believe in disentanglement from worldliness and attainment of meritorious spiritual qualifications and real happiness with right means alone. The first strives for economic possession and the second one observes the religious conduct for realization of the ultimate truth.
As the Acaranga says, the soul indulges in actions, takes birth, dies and transmigrates, all in utter solitariness : I have always been solitary : 1 belong to none else; I behold no one whom I can say I belong to nor do I behold one whom I can designate as mine. The path of worldliness is nothing but disaster. Who, whose and where are one's kith and kin? Who, whose, and where are strangers, and viceversa. There comes a time when nobody remains as kith and kin and nobody a stranger. Ponder thus "I am all alone. Nobody was mine in the past, nor will ever be in the future. It is because of my karmas that I delude myself and consider others as mine. The truth is that I was alone in the past and will ever be all alone.
According to Jainism, soul and God are identical, inasmuch as they are the two stages of same entity. Every soul is potentially divine and the manifestation of divinity is called Paramatmahood. It has three stages, the first stage Bahiratman engages itself in the external objects through the sense doors, confounds the self with the body. The second stage Antaratman repents for this indulging tendency of sense and determines to see the self within, and the third stage is the Paramatman, the Siddhahood, a soul that has freed itself from the bondage of karma and cycle of birth and death. Such a soul annuls even the vibratory activities but preserves infinite perception, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss. Before final departure from the world, some suc souls called Arihantas reinstate the religious order and become Tirthankaras.“
For spiritual realization, according to Jaina tradition, right faith, right knowledge and right conduct all three together conduct the path of spititual salvation termed as triple jewel (ratnatraya). The Uttaradhyayana
Spiritual Discipline And Practices In Jainism
63