Aatmatattvaprakash

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Aatmatattvaprakash" by Nyayavijay, based on the given pages:

The text, "Aatmatattvaprakash" (Illumination of the Self-Principle), authored by Nyayavijay, is a philosophical treatise that delves into the fundamental nature of reality from a Jain perspective. The core of the text is dedicated to explaining the concept of the Ātman (Soul) and its journey.

Key Concepts and Arguments Presented:

1. Dualistic Nature of Reality: The universe is understood to be composed of two fundamental principles: Jada (inanimate, material) and Chetana (animate, conscious). All worldly substances are subsumed within these two categories.

2. The Nature of the Ātman (Soul):

   • The Ātman is identified as the conscious principle, characterized by knowledge (Jnana).
   • It is distinct from the body, which is material (Jada) and lacks consciousness. This is evidenced by subjective experiences like "I am happy" or "I am sad." These feelings cannot reside in the material body, which ceases to function after death (e.g., desires and emotions are absent in a dead body).
   • The Ātman is immaterial (Amurta), meaning it is not composed of physical elements. Material substances cannot possess attributes like knowledge.

3. The Ātman's Relationship with the Senses:

   • The senses (Indriyas) are instruments used by the Ātman to perceive the external world. They are tools, not the Ātman itself.
   • Analogies are used to illustrate this: a pen-knife makes a pen, but the knife and the maker are distinct. Similarly, the eye sees, the tongue tastes, etc., but the Ātman is the ultimate perceiver, distinct from the sensory organs.
   • The fact that we can remember past experiences even when the corresponding sense organ is damaged (e.g., remembering what was seen even when blind) proves that the Ātman is separate from the senses. The Ātman retains the impressions (samskaras) of experiences.
   • The experience of seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching is unified in the conscious experience, implying a single perceiver (the Ātman) behind these distinct sensory actions.

4. The Ātman and the Material World:

   • Modern scientific discoveries, while identifying numerous physical elements, do not find any element capable of self-awareness. This further supports the existence of a separate, self-aware principle – the Ātman.
   • The Ātman is invisible (Avarna), just as atoms are invisible to the naked eye, yet their existence is inferred through their effects. Similarly, the Ātman's existence is proven through its function of knowledge.
   • The principle that that which possesses observable attributes is directly perceptible applies here: just as sound is not a quality of space but is perceived, the Ātman, whose attributes are knowledge and consciousness, is perceptible through its knowledge-manifestations.

5. The Principle of Karma and Rebirth (Karmasiddhanta and Punarjanma):

   • The vast diversity observed in living beings – differences in intelligence, fortune, health, happiness, and suffering – cannot be explained by present circumstances alone.
   • Even twins born from the same mother and raised in similar environments exhibit significant differences in their lives and aptitudes.
   • Unforeseen misfortunes or injustices suffered by the innocent, and the escape of the guilty, point to an underlying principle beyond immediate causality.
   • The suffering of a fetus during gestation or birth also raises questions about its cause. The text argues against the fetus having committed any good or bad deeds at that stage, and also against the principle of one person suffering for another's actions.
   • These observations lead to the conclusion that a pre-existing karmic force (Karma-satta) from past lives must be the explanation. This establishes the concept of rebirth.
   • The Ātman is bound by an eternal (Anadi) accumulation of karma, which leads to its cycle of transmigration through various states of existence.
   • Good and bad actions do not go in vain; their effects may manifest in this life or in future lives through the stored impressions (samskaras) or "karma" which is described as a substance composed of various types of atoms.
   • New karmas are continuously formed and attached to the Ātman through its actions, while old karmas are shed upon the completion of their fruition period. These karmas, as subtle entities, remain with the soul until their effects are experienced.

6. Types of Souls (Jiva Bheda):

   • Souls are primarily divided into two categories: Samsari (bound souls) and Mukta (liberated souls).
   • Samsari souls are those who are perpetually moving in the cycle of Samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth), traversing the 8.4 million species and four modes of existence (human, animal, celestial, and infernal). The term "Samsara" itself implies movement and is intrinsically linked to the soul's bondage by karma.
   • Souls are further classified based on the number of senses they possess:
     • Ekendriya (one-sensed): These are the Sthavara (immovable) beings, further divided into five categories based on their primary element: Earth-bodied (Prithvi-kaya), Water-bodied (Ap-kaya), Fire-bodied (Tejas-kaya), Air-bodied (Vayu-kaya), and Plant-bodied (Vanaaspati-kaya). They are further divided into visible and invisible types.
     • Dvi-indriya (two-sensed): Possessing touch and taste senses.
     • Tri-indriya (three-sensed): Possessing touch, taste, and smell senses.
     • Chatur-indriya (four-sensed): Possessing touch, taste, smell, and sight senses.
     • Pancha-indriya (five-sensed): Possessing all five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing). These are further classified into various animals, humans, celestial beings (devas), and hellish beings (naraka).
   • The "Sthula" (gross) categories generally refer to souls from the two-sensed onwards.

7. Liberation (Moksha):

   • Mukti (liberation) is the ultimate freedom from all karmic coverings and the physical body they generate. It is the state of the pure, unadulterated soul (Kevala, Shuddhatma-vastha).
   • The text refutes the idea that liberation is about gaining something new. Instead, it is the removal of obstacles (karmic veils) that obscures the soul's true, luminous nature, akin to the sun becoming visible when clouds dissipate.
   • The text emphasizes that the pleasant sensations derived from worldly objects are fleeting and ultimately lead to suffering. True happiness lies in the cessation of desires and the attainment of inner peace.
   • The human birth is considered the most opportune for spiritual progress and liberation. Humans are described as masters of their own destiny and the cosmos.
   • The path to liberation involves cultivating virtues, controlling desires, and engaging in righteous conduct.

8. Devotion (Bhagavad Upasana):

   • Worship of the Paramatma (Supreme Soul), who is free from attachment and aversion (Vitaraga), is not to please the divine but to purify one's own mind.
   • By remembering and contemplating the virtues of the liberated souls (Tirthankaras), one can cultivate positive qualities within oneself, overcome mental afflictions (like anger, greed), and achieve inner peace and spiritual progress.
   • Devotion is seen as a means to purify the mind, akin to the purity achieved by a clean mirror.

9. The Three Jewels (Samayagdarshan-Jnana-Charitra):

   • The path to liberation is achieved through the simultaneous practice of Right Faith (Samayagdarshan), Right Knowledge (Samayagjnana), and Right Conduct (Samayagcharitra).
   • Right Faith is the conviction in the true nature of the soul and reality, preceded by proper understanding.
   • By adhering to these three principles, the soul progresses towards its ultimate form, becoming the Paramatma (Supreme Soul) – the embodiment of pure consciousness and bliss.

10. The Nature of Karma and Its Cessation:

    • Karmas are inherently linked to the soul from time immemorial (Anadi). However, each individual karmic substance has a beginning.
    • Through spiritual practices, particularly the intense concentration of Shukla Samadhi (pure contemplation) and Vishuddha Charitra (pure conduct), the formation of new karmas is halted, and the existing karmas are gradually dissolved.
    • The intensity of passions like attachment and aversion varies. Spiritual practices help to diminish these passions, leading to the soul's gradual liberation from ignorance and karmic bondage, ultimately revealing its true, luminous nature.

In essence, "Aatmatattvaprakash" is a profound exposition on the Jain understanding of the soul, its bondage through karma, the cycle of rebirth, and the ultimate path to liberation through self-purification, right faith, knowledge, and conduct. It provides a philosophical framework for understanding individual experiences and the universe's diversity.