Aatmsiddhi Anushilan

Certainly! Based on the provided text, here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Aatmsiddhi Anushilan" by Pandit Fulchandra Jain Shastri:

Book Title: Aatmsiddhi Anushilan Author: Pandit Fulchandra Jain Shastri Publisher: Shyam Samadhi Ashram

Core Theme:

The book "Aatmsiddhi Anushilan" is a detailed exploration and commentary on the "Aatmsiddhi Shastra" composed by Shrimad Rajchandraji. The primary aim is to help spiritual seekers understand the profound essence of Shrimad Rajchandraji's work and attain self-realization, the ultimate state of the soul. The commentary is presented in a way that is accessible to a wide audience, including those living in foreign countries, enabling them to stay connected to the teachings of their Guru.

Inspiration and Purpose:

• The publication was inspired by the earnest desire of the residents of Shyam Samadhi Ashram and the native people of Umrala, who wished to benefit from the scriptural studies of Pandit Fulchandra Shastri, a grandson of their revered Guru.
• It also addresses the expectation of Indians living abroad to have access to spiritual literature that keeps them connected to the teachings of their learned Pandit.
• The ultimate goal of this book is to help every soul understand its true nature and achieve the highest state of the soul, its perfect self-realization.

About Shrimad Rajchandraji:

• Spiritual Master: Shrimad Rajchandraji was a highly revered spiritual yogi, spiritual master, and a globally renowned figure.
• Life and Teachings: Though his life was short (born 1868, passed away at 33), he experienced truth directly. He shared this understanding with his devoted followers, including Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was deeply influenced by Shrimadji's spiritual discourses and found his letters to be a guiding force in his spiritual and religious life, even more so than philosophers like Tolstoy and Ruskin.
• Character: In his worldly life, Shrimadji was a respected and honest businessman, but his inner life was akin to that of a saint. He was a partner in a renowned gem business and a knowledgeable jeweler, managing a vast international trade. He defied the notion that a successful businessman cannot remain principled, proving that one can be both a true merchant and a follower of truth.
• Spiritual Attainment: He possessed deep self-awareness, knowledge, and conviction. His memory was extraordinary, enabling him to comprehend a hundred subjects simultaneously, earning him the title "Shatavadhani" (one with hundredfold attention). He mastered language, using precise words in appropriate contexts. His actions and words reflected his greatness, compassion, respect, discipline, pursuit of liberation, and the symbol of self-purification. Despite his material prosperity and reputation, he remained detached. He understood that senses are qualities of the material realm, while awareness and knowledge are qualities of the soul, attainable only through the soul. Likewise, happiness is a quality of the soul, not obtainable from material possessions.

Key Concepts from "Aatmsiddhi Shastra" (as elucidated in the commentary):

• Aatmsiddhi: The attainment of self-knowledge and liberation.
• The Soul's Suffering: Shrimad Rajchandraji begins by stating that the soul has suffered infinite sorrows due to a lack of self-knowledge.
• The Path to Moksha: He emphasizes the importance of a true Guru who can explain the path to liberation.
• Criticism of Ritualism and Dry Knowledge: The text distinguishes between those who are engrossed in mere outward rituals ("kriyajad") and those who possess mere intellectual knowledge without true understanding ("shushkgyani"). True spirituality requires self-knowledge combined with detachment and renunciation.
• The Guru's Significance: The immense importance of a living Guru is highlighted, as their guidance helps overcome vices like anger, pride, deceit, and greed.
• Understanding the Self: The book delves into concepts like the existence and nature of the soul, its eternality, its role as the doer and enjoyer of its actions, and the nature of liberation (moksha) and the means to achieve it.
• Dialogue Format: The text includes a dialogue between a Guru and a disciple, covering six core points: 1. The soul exists. 2. The soul is eternal. 3. The soul is the doer of its actions. 4. The soul is the enjoyer of its actions. 5. Liberation exists. 6. Liberation has a means.
• Realization: Those who perceive the entire world as insignificant or dream-like are considered to have attained the state of the enlightened. Anything less is considered ignorance or mere verbal knowledge.
• The Path to Moksha: The text assures that those who practice the five principles (mentioned earlier) will undoubtedly reach the fifth state (Moksha) through the sixth principle (the means).
• Gratitude to the Guru: The disciple expresses profound gratitude to the Guru for revealing the true path and alleviating the soul's suffering.

Commentary's Approach ("Anushilan"):

• In-depth Exploration: Pandit Fulchandra Shastri's "Anushilan" provides a detailed analysis of each verse (gatha) of "Aatmsiddhi Shastra."
• Focus on Key Themes: The commentary highlights crucial aspects such as:
  • Understanding the Self (Gatha-1)
  • Defining monasticism (Gatha-4)
  • Distinguishing the enlightened from the merely learned (Gatha-5)
  • Discussion on different philosophical perspectives (Nayas) (Gatha-8)
  • The practical example of asking for directions and the significance of following a Guru who understands the path from duality to non-duality (Gatha-9)
  • The difficulty faced by the ignorant in finding a Guru compared to the enlightened (Gatha-11)
  • Unraveling the meaning of the word "understanding" (Gatha-12)
  • Defining Moksha and the path to it (Gatha-17)
  • Distinguishing between the destruction of the enemy and the destruction of enmity (Gatha-18)
  • Subtle thoughts on humility (Vinay) (Gatha-19)
  • Guidance on moving beyond influence into one's true nature (Gatha-25)
  • Balancing determination (Nishchay) and practical conduct (Vyavahar), illustrating the union of the two using 24 letters from the alphabet (Gathas-29 & 132)
  • Analyzing the subtle nature of "laghuta-granthi" (inferiority complex) as a subtle form of anger (Gatha-31)
  • The mystery behind the word "Nirvana" (Gatha-41)
  • Connecting the six stages of spiritual progress with the six questions (Gatha-43)
  • Differentiating between "Darshan" (insight) and "Shraddhan" (faith) (Gatha-45)
  • Explaining the glory of the soul using analogies of electric current and appliances (Gatha-52)
  • The paradox that while the soul contains knowledge, knowledge itself does not contain the soul, and rediscovering the lost soul within knowledge is self-realization (Gatha-70)
  • The etymology of the word "Jain" (Gatha-105)
  • Categorizing the soul's six stages of establishment, upliftment, departure, and attainment, and the narrative of the soul afflicted by acquiring external things (Gatha-107)
  • The secret of the word "Jigyasu" (seeker) and its connection with "Sachchidanand" (eternal bliss) (Gatha-109)
  • The nature of self-realization being beyond speech if it's beyond the body (Gatha-120)
  • The glory of the Guru as depicted through the analogy of the eye and the mirror (Gatha-124)
  • The difference between the teachings of the enlightened and the unenlightened (Gatha-137)
• Rich and Engaging: The commentary makes the reading experience enjoyable and insightful, encouraging readers towards self-realization, which is the ultimate aim of the commentary.

Dedication:

The book is reverently dedicated to Param Pujya Pitamaheshri Vamdev Swami ji, acknowledging the spiritual lineage and blessings received.

Overall, "Aatmsiddhi Anushilan" serves as a profound guide, offering a spiritual legacy and a path towards self-discovery and liberation, meticulously explained through the insightful commentary of Pandit Fulchandra Jain Shastri on Shrimad Rajchandraji's seminal work.