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Śramana, Vol. 60-61, No. 4-1 Oct.-Dec. 09 - Jan. - March 10
DEVELOPMENT OF JAINA YOGA
Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh
The soul, in Jaina tradition, is innately blessed with four infinites (anantacatuştayas: infinite faith, infinite knowledge, infinite conduct and infinite virility). Its infinity is obscured and obstructed on account of the bondage of karmic matter to it. Solely, the soul and no one else is answerable for the deterioration in its pure nature. However, it is also capable of regaining its pure nature on its own. It requires the means of three jewels (Right attitude, Right knowledge and Right conduct)' constituting the path to liberation, to retain or realize its innate nature. In Uttarādhyayana sūtra (as an exception) this path to liberation is instructed as fourfold - Right knowledge, faith, conduct and austerity2). This three or four-fold path is Yoga as Ācārya Haribhadra propounded 'whatever leads one to emancipation is Yoga''.
Jaina canonical literature contains significant material on Jaina Yoga though, mostly, as stray references. Canonical texts include Anga, Upānga, Mūlasūtra, Chedasūtra, Cūlikā and Prakīrņaka texts (composed during fifth century B.C. to fifth century. A.D). Whenever one thinks of Jaina Yoga, the first idea that comes to mind is how to act in accordance with the Haribhadra definition of Yoga. What to include within the purview of Yoga and what to leave without from a very vast and minutely treated theme of the three Jewels. But, on the other hand, it also gives liberty to treat any subject related with Jaina spirituality as that of Jaina Yoga. However, from the very beginning, Dhyāna, Samādhi and Yoga represented the Jaina Yoga and liberally speaking was used as synonyms. In early literature the terms samādhi and dhyāna were more in trend than the term Yoga. The term Dhyāna as a type of
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Associate Professor, B.L.I, Delhi
