The Jain 1988 07

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Samaj Europe

Page 77

-Jóin
universe. Sukla-dhyana is possible only for a person highly spiritually advanced and versed in the sacred texts, indeed the highest levels of sukla-dhyana can be approached only by a kevalin, a person who has achieved omniscience.
Ten stages of the process of nirjara, shedding of karma, are listed in verse 47, from the finding of right faith to complete enlightenment, whilst another listing on different principles of five stages of spiritual progress is found in the next two verses.
The cessation of the inflow of Parisaha,discomforts to be karma is called samvara: it is overcome, tapa, penances achieved through seven forms of deliberately undertaken, are religious discipline detailed in both instrumental in teaching Chapter IX, restraint. restraint of the passions. watchfulness, rules of Twenty-two afflictions are listed righteousness, deep reflection, which the monk has to learn to endurance of afflictions, right endure, these are less conduct, and austerities. The applicable to the lay person. process of shedding the However the twelve penances accumulated karma is nirjara: or austerities, six external or austerities are also the means to bodily and six internal or nirjara. Each of these disciplines mental, apply both to the monk is defined and subdivided. or nun and to the lay man or
Restraint (gupti) means woman. It is made clear (IX.3) restricting the activities (yoga) that austerities not only halt the of body. speech and senses, further inflow of karma to the avoiding what is not necessary. soul but also are instrumental in Watchfulness (samiti) is its the actual shedding of already complement, involving positive accumulated karma. caution in movement, speech, The Sanskrit word dhyana is procurement of necessaries,
usually translated 'meditataion': handling and disposing of 'mental concentration' is things to avoid harm.
another possible translation. The rules (dharma) of Meditation is discussed and righteousness are ten in analysed in veses 27 to 46 of number: they involve the Chapter IX. It involves fixing the qualities of forbearance, mind on one subject of thought humility, sincerity, absence of for a space of time up to one greed, truthfulnes, self-restraint, muhurta (one thirtieth of a day. austerity. renunciation, absence forty-eight minutes). It is of feelings of ownership
possible only for someone with Deep reflection (anupreksa) the right bodily power. on the true nature of things as a Meditation can take various means of stopping the karmic forms, some of which are inflow involves reflection on the beneficial and lead to moksa transient nature of life, the whilst others are harmful. Thus, solitariness of the individual in concentration on acquisition of the cycle of birth and death, the an agreeable thing or getting rid nature of karmic inflow and of something unpleasant is cessation...Caritra, translated as harmful, so is constant reflection right conduct, in this context on violence, untruthfulness, describes the endeavour to theft, protection of possessions. remain steady in a state of Persons in the lower stages of spiritual purity. Its main spiritual life are susceptible to characteristic is samayika or these. In the higher gunasthana. equanimity, a term often used stages of spiritual development, for a period of quiet reflection the valuable forms of for the cultivation of equanimity meditation are practised daily by the pious possible Dharma-dhyana lain. A monk's initiation, with the concentration on the sacred promise of continued spiritual teachings, the elimination of purity, is a form of caritra as here defilements, the consequences defined
of karma and the nature of the
THE FINAL GOAL All this leads up to the final goal of the spiritual path. moksa or complete liberation of the soul. This is the subject matter of the tenth and final chapter of the Tattvartha Sutra. It is very short chapter, just seven verses, but it marks the culmination of the work. Indeed the Tattvartha Sutra. is sometimes called the Moksasastra, the Moksa scripture. The true nature of the soul includes, it must be remembered, total knowledge but until the final elimination of all karma this total knowledge is obscured and dimmed. The last and most powerful forms of karma ultimately succumb to nirjara, shedding off, and kevala. omniscience, appears. The complete destruction of all karma is called moksa: the liberated soul. by its natural unhindered motion, now rises upwards to the uppermost part of the universe. With verse 6 the Tattvartha Sutra reaches its culminating point. However the author cannot resist adding a further note (verse 7) listing twelve ways in which the souls achieving liberation may be classified
Paul Marett
Jain Education Intemational 2010_03