Bar Bhavna - Book Summary | JainGPT

This comprehensive summary outlines the core teachings of "Bar Bhavna" (Twelve Contemplations), a Jain text authored by Subhash Sheth, published by USA Jain Swadhyay Mandir Songadh USA. The book aims to explain the twelve contemplations, which are considered the "mother of dispassion born from knowledge" and are essential for spiritual seekers.

I. Core Concept: Bar Bhavna (Twelve Contemplations)

The text emphasizes that true dispassion (vairagya) must be preceded by knowledge (gyan). This knowledge-driven dispassion is the only effective means for spiritual liberation. The twelve contemplations are presented as the sole tool for achieving this kind of dispassion. While the names of the contemplations are known, their specific nature, the process of contemplation, the resources for it, their purpose, and the ultimate fruit of practicing them are often unknown. This book aims to provide a holistic understanding of these crucial elements.

II. The Twelve Bhavanas (Contemplations)

The book systematically explains each of the twelve Bhavanas, which are the foundation for gaining knowledge-based dispassion. Each contemplation is presented with its relevance, purpose, and the reasoning behind its sequential order. The twelve Bhavanas are:

Anitya Bhavna (Contemplation of Impermanence): Focuses on the transient nature of all worldly possessions, relationships, and even the body and lifespan itself, highlighting their impermanence.
Asharan Bhavna (Contemplation of Helplessness): Emphasizes that in times of distress, old age, sickness, or death, worldly companions, wealth, or powers offer no refuge. Only the soul's inherent nature is a true refuge.
Sansar Bhavna (Contemplation of the Cycle of Birth and Death): Explores the suffering inherent in the cycle of existence, the eight types of karmas, the four unfavorable destinies (hellish beings, animals, lower celestial beings, and human beings in certain states), and the five types of transformations (parinaman). It stresses that this cycle is driven by ignorance and attachment.
Ekattva Bhavna (Contemplation of Solitude): Highlights that ultimately, one is alone in experiencing joy and sorrow, birth and death. Even loved ones cannot truly share or alleviate one's karmic consequences.
Anyattva Bhavna (Contemplation of Otherness): Distinguishes the soul from all physical and mental aggregates, emphasizing that the soul is distinct from the body, mind, senses, and even its own transient states (like passions). The true self is the pure, unchanging soul.
Ashuchi Bhavna (Contemplation of Impurity): Delves into the physical and mental impurities associated with the body, its functions, and the by-products of digestion and excretion. It aims to foster detachment from the physical form by highlighting its repulsive aspects.
Asrava Bhavna (Contemplation of Influx of Karmas): Explains how influx of karmas occurs due to passions like anger, pride, deceit, and greed, fueled by the senses and mind. It emphasizes understanding the causal link between actions and their karmic consequences.
Samvara Bhavna (Contemplation of Restraint): Focuses on preventing the influx of new karmas by controlling the senses, mind, and actions through ethical conduct, self-discipline, and vows. This is achieved by restraining the influx of karmas through vigilance and conscious effort.
Nirjara Bhavna (Contemplation of Shedding of Karmas): Explains the process of shedding accumulated karmas through penance, austerity, and spiritual practices. It highlights that while new karmas are prevented by Samvara, existing karmas are either exhausted through suffering or actively shed through spiritual practices.
Loka Bhavna (Contemplation of the Universe): Describes the structure of the universe (Loka), its constituents (six eternal substances), and the cyclical nature of existence within it. It aims to foster detachment from worldly realms by understanding their impermanence and the soul's true abode in the pure soul-consciousness.
Bodhi Durlabha Bhavna (Contemplation of the Rarity of Right Understanding/Enlightenment): Underscores the extreme rarity of obtaining human birth and the favorable circumstances required for spiritual enlightenment (Bodhi). It emphasizes the preciousness of this opportunity and the need for diligent effort.
Dharma Bhavna (Contemplation of Dharma/Righteousness): Defines Dharma not as mere rituals but as the soul's inherent nature of equanimity, purity, and bliss (Vitaragta). It highlights the importance of living virtuously and practicing righteousness as the path to ultimate well-being.

III. Key Themes and Structure:

Vairagya (Dispassion): The central theme is the cultivation of dispassion, not through mere emotional aversion but through intellectual understanding and knowledge.
Knowledge-Driven Dispassion: The book emphasizes that dispassion without knowledge is ineffective and potentially harmful, whereas knowledge-based dispassion is the key to spiritual progress.
Purpose of Each Bhavna: Each contemplation is explained in terms of its definition, its process, its purpose, its benefits (immediate and ultimate), and how it leads to the next.
Storytelling: A unique feature is the inclusion of inspirational stories (prerak katha) at the end of each contemplation's explanation, illustrating the core message of that Bhavana.
Structure: The book begins with introductory sections, including a publisher's note, author's note, and a detailed subject index, followed by the exposition of each of the twelve Bhavanas and concluding with appendices containing related poems and answers to questions.
Author's Style: Subhash Sheth is noted for his simple, accessible, logical, and engaging writing style, making even complex spiritual concepts understandable to beginners.

IV. Underlying Philosophy:

The book is rooted in Jain philosophy, particularly the emphasis on Anekantavada (the doctrine of manifold aspects), which is used to understand the nature of reality, and the path of Vitaragta (non-attachment/equanimity) as the means to liberation. The twelve Bhavanas are presented as a practical roadmap for spiritual aspirants to progressively detach from worldly allurements and realize their true self.

In essence, "Bar Bhavna" is a profound guide to understanding the impermanent, helpless, suffering-filled, and impure nature of the world, leading the reader towards the rare and precious path of righteousness and the ultimate goal of liberation.