Agyan Sabhi Rogo Ka Mul Hai - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Agyan Sabhi Rogo ka Mul Hai" (Ignorance is the Root of All Diseases) by Chanchalmal Choradiya, based on the provided PDF excerpt:

The book posits that ignorance (agyan) is the fundamental root cause of all diseases, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. True health is defined as being situated in one's true self (swa), returning to one's intrinsic nature from a state of vitiation or delusion.

Understanding Health and Disease from a Jain Perspective:

The Body: The body is a complex system of interconnected organs and functions (nervous system, respiratory, digestive, etc.). When any of these systems weaken or require external support to function, it indicates a vibhava-avastha (a vitiated or unnatural state) of the body, signifying a physical disease. The inherent nature of body parts (e.g., bones being hard, muscles being flexible) can be disrupted, leading to illness. Even deviations in body temperature or form are considered signs of disease.
The Mind: The mind's natural function is contemplation, thought, resolve, and desire. When this function is guided by knowledge and wisdom, it leads to virtuous actions. However, when the mind becomes uncontrolled, driven by desires and impulses, it results in negative emotions like anger, pride, deceit, greed, lack of self-control, and delusion. These uncontrolled mental states are the root of mental diseases. Conversely, virtues like forgiveness, compassion, kindness, friendship, service, humility, simplicity, contentment, and self-control are indicators of mental well-being.
The Soul (Atma): Ignorance and delusion (mithyatva, moh) are considered diseases of the soul, obscuring its true nature. The soul's true nature is characterized by infinite knowledge, infinite perception, and non-attachment (anant jnan, anant darshan, veetraagta). These are indicators of spiritual health.

The Distinction Between Health (Arogya) and Being Disease-Free (Nirog):

Nirog: Means to be entirely free from the occurrence of disease.
Arogya: Means to experience health despite the presence of diseases, where their pain and side effects are not felt. The author suggests that the current focus is often limited to achieving arogya, and even then, only physical diseases are considered, neglecting the more dangerous mental and spiritual diseases that lead to the cycle of birth and death.

The Role of Samyagdarshan (Right Faith/True Vision):

Samyagdarshan is presented as the key to true health. It means understanding things as they truly are, in their proper form, qualities, and attributes. It awakens self-awareness and the tendency to recognize one's own faults.

Impact of Samyagdarshan:
- It leads to the realization of the distinction between the soul and the body.
- It reveals the soul's infinite power.
- It encourages efforts to purify the soul by addressing karmic coverings.
- It fosters the perception of the same soul in all living beings.
- It dispels prejudice and one-sided perspectives, developing an anekantavadi (multi-faceted) view.
- It cultivates empathy, reducing the tendency to harm others for personal gain.
- It leads to a life of samabhava (equanimity), samveg (intense desire for truth), nirved (indifference to useless pursuits), anukampa (compassion for all beings), and shraddha (faith in truth).

The Perspective of a Samyagdarshi on Medical Treatment:

A person with samyagdarshan will understand the direct and indirect, present and past, physical, mental, and spiritual causes of illness and strive to avoid them, thus reducing the likelihood of disease.
If disease does occur, they will take responsibility for their own mistakes rather than blaming others and will pursue treatment with patience and equanimity.
They will not be swayed by temporary relief, will be mindful of side effects, and will prioritize the purity of the means, the objective, and the materials used in treatment.
Crucially, they will avoid medicines whose creation and testing cause suffering to any living being and will not encourage unnecessary violence for treatment. They strive to live a life like a lotus in water, detached and guided by conscience and awareness in every action.

Other Causes and Limitations of Treatment:

Karmas: The primary cause of disease is the activation of past negative karmas, along with unnatural lifestyles, lack of self-control, irregularity, lack of awareness, and harmful physical, mental, and spiritual inclinations.
Karma and Life Span: Life is finite, and the lifespan (prana-urja or breath) gradually depletes. Balancing and controlling this vital energy until the end of life is fundamental to health.
Karma and Circumstances: Past karmas influence our health, existence, patience, resources, and associations. They create favorable or unfavorable circumstances. Adverse situations and diseases can sometimes arise to prevent arrogance and make individuals accept the principle of karma.
Mithyatva (Delusion) as the Greatest Sin: The author points to the existence of disabilities and diseases at birth, differences in wealth and intelligence, and the inability of everyone to achieve the highest positions despite efforts, as evidence of karma and reincarnation. Ignorance of this principle does not negate its effects.
Misuse of Medicine and Violence: The text strongly criticizes the use of medicines derived from animal parts or tested on animals. It highlights instances of families suffering due to side effects of vaccines and the ethical implications of supporting industries that cause harm to animals, which indirectly promotes meat-eating. The author questions the "service" of building and running hospitals based on violence, questioning the "vision" of such endeavors.

The Body's Innate Healing Capacity:

The book emphasizes that the body possesses an inherent ability to heal itself. Our current thinking often focuses only on the external and immediate.
True faith (samyagdarshan) is the first step towards achieving true health.
The author argues that the belief that only doctors and medicines can provide health is a form of delusion (mithyatva). People often trust external remedies more than their own innate capabilities.
The author stresses the importance of believing that the body heals itself, and doctors and medicines merely assist this process.

Conclusion:

The book concludes by urging readers to fear sin, move rapidly towards righteousness, and shed the attachment to violent medicines. It asserts that true and complete health can only be achieved by adopting a vision that aligns with the principles of Jainism, emphasizing self-reliance, non-violence, and the understanding of karma and the soul's true nature.