________________
A Vista of the Path
273
Two of these types of direct knowledge, namely, clairvoyance and omniscience, correspond to the two direct types of vision or perception mentioned above, We may note, without going here into all the intricacies of these forms of jñāna, that, taking into our purview the essential factor of karman, we shall discover that jñāna, as also darśana, varies in degree of purity according to the quantity of karman that obscures it.
We must stress at this point the importance of śruta-jñāna, the knowledge of Scripture;26 śruta-jñāna, an aspect of samyak-jñāna, is inextricably woven into the life-pattern of the sādhvis and äryikās and constitutes an important part of the vision of the path to be followed.
Śruta-jñāna is the solid framework upon which assimilation of the doctrine rests. This naturally involves study and a conscious, meditative, profound knowledge; the fact of learning by heart a large number of Sütras does not render them less well understood; on the contrary, the absorption of the words and their sounds and the identification of the person with the text recited have a helpful effect, provided always that the effort of memory is accompanied by an effort of reflection, 27 We may add that the pravacanas, spiritual discourses that the sādhvis give to śrāvakas and śrāvikās, always take their inspiration from the Scriptures, which fact presupposes that they are well-acquainted with them and have assimilated them themselves in order to transmit to those who 'hear' with their ears and their minds the teaching of Mahāvira, the acăryas and other sages.28 This being the case, this present study is based on these same Scriptures, those which are the guides of the ascetics, though it is recognised that this is only one aspect of jñāna and that the study of the texts must blend harmoniously with right belief and right conduct.
26 Cf. ADH JII, 1-3; 5-7.
27 Cf. svadhyāya P 490 ff.
28 Two chief types of śruta-jñāna are distinguished: angapravişta or the knowledge of the contents of the 12 Angas; and angabāhya, which is a quite different knowledge of the doctrine, based on the works of the sages.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
