Atmasadhna Me Nishchaynay Ki Upayogita - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Atmasadhna me Nishchaynay ki Upayogita" (The Utility of Nishchaynaya in Self-Realization) by Sumermalmuni:

The text emphasizes the crucial role of Nishchaynaya (the ultimate or absolute viewpoint) in the journey of spiritual self-realization (Atmasadhna) within Jain philosophy. It argues that while both Nishchaynaya and Vyavaharnaya (the practical or conventional viewpoint) are essential for understanding reality, Nishchaynaya is the primary path to liberation and self-improvement.

The Interdependence of Nayas:

The author begins by stating that both Nishchaynaya and Vyavaharnaya are like two eyes. To truly understand any subject, one needs to possess "correct knowledge" of both. Lacking one leads to "one-eyedness."
Both Nayas have their distinct and equally important roles.

Defining Nishchaynaya:

Nishchaynaya views and accepts a subject in its unbroken, whole, and pure essence.
It focuses on the pure, unbroken essence of the substance (dravya) and does not see distinctions, combinations, or modifications (paryayas).
Examples:
- An आत्मा (soul) is seen as a collection of infinite qualities and modifications, but Nishchaynaya perceives it as a whole, unbroken entity.
- A wooden plank is seen as just a plank, ignoring the nails, legs, or pieces of wood that form it.
- A book is seen as a book, without focusing on its individual pages, letters, or ink.
- Water mixed with dirt is seen purely as water, disregarding the dirt or its source (river, ocean, salty or sweet).

Defining Vyavaharnaya:

Vyavaharnaya, in contrast, focuses on the modifications and combinations present in a subject.
It observes the details, the parts, and the external influences.
Examples:
- Vyavaharnaya sees the water mixed with dirt and considers its source and properties (salty or sweet).
- From a Vyavaharnaya perspective, the soul is seen as being in conjunction with passions (kashayas), karmas, and activities (yogas). It appears to be associated with eight karmas, four kashayas, the karmic body, and yogas.

The Subject Matter of Each Naya:

Nishchaynaya's subject is the pure soul.
Vyavaharnaya's subject is the impure soul.

Nishchaynaya is Essential for Self-Welfare (Atmakalyan):

The text strongly advocates for Nishchaynaya as the means to true self-welfare and liberation (moksha).
It draws a parallel to psychology: how continuous focus on something changes one's nature (e.g., observing the moon makes one calm). Similarly, seeing the soul through Nishchaynaya, with its pure and spotless nature, leads to increased purity of the soul.
Benefits of Nishchaynaya for self-realization:
- Eliminates distinctions: It removes the concepts of "this is a dog's soul, this is a human's soul," or "this is a sinner, this is a virtuous person." It sees every soul as purely soul-substance.
- Reduces attachment and aversion: By seeing the underlying unity of all souls, one ceases to develop attachment (raag) or aversion (dvesh) towards any individual.
- Prevents impurity: When attachment and aversion are absent, the soul is not tainted by impurity or defilement.
- Transcends self-perceptions: It dissolves notions like "I am a sinner," "I am learned," or "I am foolish." The seeker only perceives the pure, unbroken soul.

"Eke Aaya" (One Soul) - A Nishchaynaya Principle:

The text refers to the "Sthananga Sutra" and its concept of "Eke Aaya" from Nishchaynaya's perspective.
Meaning 1: All souls, whether of an elephant, dog, ant, or human, are fundamentally the same – pure souls devoid of combinations and modifications. This realization is only possible through Nishchaynaya.
Meaning 2: Despite having infinite qualities, modifications, and relationships, the soul is one indivisible substance. Neither pure nor impure modifications are grasped by Nishchaynaya.

Vyavaharnaya's Description of the Soul:

The "Sthananga Sutra" also lists eight types of souls from Vyavaharnaya's perspective: substance-soul, passion-soul, yoga-soul, utility-soul, knowledge-soul, vision-soul, conduct-soul, and energy-soul. These are seen as classifications based on combinations and modifications.

The Path to Self-Purity:

To achieve true self-welfare, one must practice seeing their original, unbroken, and pure form. This leads to the soul becoming purer and purer, ultimately culminating in the realization of the soul as divine (Parmatma).
This is supported by the principle "Devo bhutva devam yajet" (Becoming divine, one worships the divine).
The core idea for self-purity is to focus on the soul's intrinsic, luminous nature (prakashatmak pehlu) as seen through Nishchaynaya, rather than dwelling on flaws.

The Wrong Way to Overcome Negativity:

The text strongly criticizes the practice of focusing on negative traits (e.g., anger, pride) to overcome them. This only strengthens the negative tendencies and embeds them in one's subconscious.
Analogy: Trying to remove darkness by hitting it with a stick is futile. Instead, introducing light (like a lamp) dispels darkness.
Spiritual Application: To overcome vices like anger, pride, deceit, and greed, one must cultivate their opposite virtues: patience (kshamabhava), humility (mrdutva), simplicity (ujjubhava), and contentment (santosh).
The correct approach is to focus on the positive, pure nature of the soul (Nishchaynaya) rather than the negative vices (Vyavaharnaya).

How to Deal with Negative Tendencies:

When negative tendencies or "vicious talkers" (vikar roopi vachala) intrude, one should not engage with them or try to fight them directly.
Instead, one should practice indifference (upeksha) towards them and shift their focus to their own pure, inherent nature (shuddha swaroop).
Just as a shopkeeper ignores a distracting talker and focuses on their business, the spiritual seeker should ignore vices and focus on the soul's pure nature. This will naturally lead to the vices receding.

The Generative Nature of Vyavaharnaya:

Focusing on vices through Vyavaharnaya can be like using an allopathic medicine that treats one symptom but creates others. It can multiply problems.
Therefore, cultivating Nishchaynaya's perspective – focusing on the pure, inherent nature of the soul, known as Dharma Dhyana (religious contemplation) – is essential.

The Ultimate Vision: Full Soul-Substance:

Nishchaynaya allows one to see the soul as eternal, pure, intelligent, unattached, unchanging, and indestructible.
Vyavaharnaya, by focusing on fleeting modifications, presents the soul as impermanent, changing, and impure.
The cycle of birth and death (samsara) is caused by dwelling on these ephemeral modifications (paryayas) instead of the complete, unbroken soul-substance (dravya).
A soul-substance is comprised of infinite past, present, and future modifications. To see this complete essence, one must adopt the perspective of Nishchaynaya, which is the "vision of nature" or "vision of substance."

Conclusion:

Nishchaynaya is the primary path for self-purification and liberation, acting as a powerful aid in spiritual practice.
However, Vyavaharnaya still has its utility. One must first purify their vision with Nishchaynaya and then use Vyavaharnaya to navigate the spiritual path.
Abandoning Nishchaynaya completely leads to losing sight of the ultimate truth, while solely following Vyavaharnaya is like "blind running."
Both Nayas are interdependent and have their place, but for the spiritual seeker, the focus should primarily be on Nishchaynaya.