Chitra Vichitra Jiva Sansar

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Chitra Vichitra Jiva Sansar" by Ajaysagar, based on the provided text:

This book, "Chitra Vichitra Jiva Sansar" (Diverse and Wonderful World of Souls), aims to explain the Jain perspective on the nature and classification of living beings, as understood through the omniscience of the Tirthankaras.

The text emphasizes that while focused study on specific beings might only reveal the embodied (Sakarmi) and not the liberated (Akarmisiddha) souls, the Tirthankaras' understanding encompasses all types of souls – liberated and worldly, gross and subtle, embodied and formless, mobile and immobile.

Classification of Souls based on Different Perspectives:

The book details how souls are classified based on various attributes:

• Purity of Consciousness (Chaitanya): Fundamentally, all souls are alike in their core consciousness, their capacity for perception (Upayoga), and their inherent pure, complete, and stable qualities, regardless of whether they are worldly or liberated.

• Karma-Bound Souls (Sakarma): Worldly souls are broadly divided into two categories:

  • Trasa (Mobile Beings): Souls that can move from one place to another due to external stimuli like heat, cold, fear, hunger, etc. This mobility is due to the specific karmic influence of "Trasa Namkarma."
  • Sthavara (Immobile Beings): Souls that remain fixed and immobile, unable to move due to various conditions like heat, cold, pleasure, or pain. This immobility is due to the karmic influence of "Sthavara Namkarma."

• Disposition/Dispositional Tendency (Veda): Worldly souls are classified into three types based on their sensual disposition:

  • Strivedi (Feminine Disposition): Desire for union with the male.
  • Purushvedi (Masculine Disposition): Desire for union with the female.
  • Napumsakvedi (Neuter Disposition): Desire for union with both male and female.
  • The text explains that external physical characteristics are "Dravya Veda," while the internal desire is "Bhava Veda." Neuter disposition is found in one-sensed to four-sensed beings, some five-sensed animals, mixed-birth humans, and hell-beings. Three dispositions are found in born animals and humans. Four types of gods have feminine and masculine dispositions, with a subtle masculine disposition in the highest heavens.

• Realm of Birth (Gati): Worldly souls are categorized into four realms:

  • Naraka (Hell-beings): Souls born in hellish realms.
  • Tiryanche (Animals/Sub-human beings): Souls born in the animal kingdom.
  • Manushya (Humans): Souls born as human beings.
  • Deva (Gods/Celestials): Souls born in heavenly realms.
  • This classification is obtained through the influence of "Gati Namkarma."

• Sense Organs (Indriya): Souls are classified into five types based on the number of sense organs they possess:

  • Ekendriya (One-sensed beings): Possess only the sense of touch. This includes beings of Earth-body (Prithvikaya), Water-body (Appkaya), Fire-body (Tejaskaya), Air-body (Vayukaya), and Vegetation-body (Vanaspati-kaya).
  • Dvi-indriya (Two-sensed beings): Possess touch and taste. Examples include worms and mollusks.
  • Tri-indriya (Three-sensed beings): Possess touch, taste, and smell. Examples include ants and certain insects.
  • Chatur-indriya (Four-sensed beings): Possess touch, taste, smell, and sight. Examples include flies and mosquitoes.
  • Panch-indriya (Five-sensed beings): Possess all five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. These are further divided into hell-beings, animals, humans, and gods.

Further Classifications and Details:

• Subtle and Gross (Sukshma and Badara): All Ekendriya beings (and other beings) can be either subtle (invisible and imperceptible to senses) or gross (perceptible). Subtle beings pervade the entire universe, while gross beings are limited in their existence. Both subtle and gross beings have two sub-classifications: fulfilled (Paryapta) and unfulfilled (A-paryapta).

• Fulfilled and Unfulfilled (Paryapta and A-paryapta): These refer to the completeness of essential bodily and mental developments (Ahar, Sharira, Indriya, Shvasochchvas, Bhasha, Man). Different beings require different numbers of these fulfillments.

• Vikal-Indriya (Imperfectly Sensed Beings): Dvi-indriya, Tri-indriya, and Chatur-indriya beings are collectively known as Vikal-Indriya. They are found only in the middle realm and not in the upper or lower realms.

• Bodies (Kaya): All worldly beings are classified based on their essential physical substance:

  • Prithvikaya (Earth-bodied): Beings whose bodies are primarily earth-like. This includes minerals and gems while still in the earth.
  • Appkaya (Water-bodied): Beings whose bodies are primarily water-like. This includes various forms of water.
  • Tejaskaya (Fire-bodied): Beings whose bodies are primarily fire-like. This includes flames, embers, and electricity.
  • Vayukaya (Air-bodied): Beings whose bodies are primarily air-like. This includes various forms of air and winds.
  • Vanaspati-kaya (Vegetation-bodied): Beings whose bodies are plants. These are further divided into "Pratyeka" (one soul per body) and "Sadharana" (infinite souls per body, like roots and fungi).
  • Trasa-kaya (Mobile-bodied): Beings that can move, which includes all Dvi-indriya, Tri-indriya, Chatur-indriya, and Panch-indriya beings.

• Types of Animals (Tiryanche): Panch-indriya animals are classified into:

  • Jalchar (Aquatic): Those that live in water.
  • Sthalchar (Terrestrial): Those that live on land, further divided into quadrupeds, reptiles that crawl on their belly, and reptiles that crawl on their limbs.
  • Khechar (Aerial): Those that fly in the sky.

• Sentient and Non-Sentient Animals (Sangyi and Asangyi): Panch-indriya animals are also classified as sentient (with mind) or non-sentient (without mind).

Causes for Births in Different Realms:

The text details the karmic actions that lead to births in specific realms:

• Animal Realm (Tiryanche Yoni): Births here are caused by attachment to children and family, ignorance, negligence, disrespect towards Jainism, lust, deceitful nature, teaching wrong paths, ridicule, falsehood, slander, and selfish friendships. Specific causes include deceit, fraud, lying, and dishonest trade practices.

• Hell Realm (Naraka): Births in hell are caused by extreme violence, excessive attachment to possessions, killing of five-sensed beings, meat-eating, adultery, theft, and intense desires. Specific causes include causing great harm, immense greed, killing five-sensed beings, and consuming meat.

• Human Realm (Manushya): Births as humans are facilitated by a gentle nature, humility, compassion, and absence of envy. Other contributing factors include straightforwardness, gentleness, freedom from anger and malice, truthfulness, and a balanced approach to life (not being solely dedicated to asceticism, as that leads to heavens).

• Heavenly Realm (Deva): While not explicitly detailed as a separate section for causes of birth as gods in the provided excerpt, it's understood to be the result of virtuous deeds and good karma, as contrasted with the suffering in hell due to negative karma.

The Human Realm's Significance:

The human birth is considered the most precious because it is the only realm where one can actively pursue liberation and eradicate karma through intense spiritual practice. Other realms offer either too much suffering (hell) or too much pleasure (heavens), making spiritual progress difficult.

The Realm of Gods (Deva Sansar):

• Nature of Birth: Gods are born through "Upapata Janma" – a form of instantaneous birth on a divine bed or platform.
• Classification of Gods: They are divided into four categories:
  • Bhavanavasi (Dwelling Gods): Inhabit palaces and residences.
  • Vyanvyantara (Intermediary Gods): Inhabit forests, mountains, etc.
  • Jyotishi (Luminous Gods): Include celestial bodies like the moon, sun, planets, and stars.
  • Vaimanika (Celestial Palace Gods): Reside in flying vehicles.
• Types of Gods:
  • Bhavanavasi: Include groups like Asurakumara, Nagakumara, etc., and also "Paramadharmik" gods who torment hell-beings.
  • Vyanvyantara: Further categorized into groups like Pisachas, Bhutas, Yakshas, Gandharvas (music-loving gods), and Tirgyajrumbhaka (gods who playfully influence various aspects of life).
  • Jyotishi: Celestial beings that reside in the middle universe.
  • Vaimanika: Divided into "Kalpopapanna" (those with hierarchical structures) and "Kalpatit" (those who consider themselves Indra). Kalpopapanna gods inhabit twelve heavenly realms, while Kalpatit gods reside in the nine Graiveyak and five Anuttara heavens. The text details the structures within the heavenly realms and the nature of divine interactions, emphasizing how desire and senses are experienced differently in higher heavens.

The Realm of the Liberated (Siddha Sansar):

• Nature of Siddhas: These are souls who have completely eradicated all eight types of karmas and reside eternally at the apex of the universe. They are pure consciousness, possessing infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and power.
• Difference from Worldly Souls: While worldly souls are bound by karma, leading to a cycle of birth, death, pleasure, and pain, Siddhas are free from all these afflictions. Siddhas are formless and intangible, existing in their pure, inherent nature.
• Types of Siddhas: The text enumerates 15 types of Siddhas based on their path to liberation:
  • Tirth Siddha/Atirth Siddha: Achieved liberation during the presence or absence of a Tirthankara's era.
  • Tirthankar Siddha/Atirthankar Siddha: Achieved liberation after being a Tirthankara or as a regular Kevali.
  • Svayambuddha Siddha/Pratyeka Buddha Siddha/Buddha Bodhita Siddha: Achieved liberation through self-realization, external triggers, or guidance from a Guru, respectively.
  • Feminine/Masculine/Neuter Linga Siddha: Achieved liberation while embodying these physical forms.
  • Sva-linga/Anya-linga/Grihi-linga Siddha: Achieved liberation while adhering to Jain monastic attire, other ascetic forms, or maintaining a householder status, respectively.
  • One Siddha/Many Siddha: Achieved liberation individually or in groups within a single time period.
• Eight Qualities of the Soul and Their Karmic Obstacles: The text explains the eight primary qualities of the soul and the specific karmas that obscure them:
  • Knowledge (Jnana) obscured by Jnana-varaniya Karma.
  • Perception (Darshana) obscured by Darshana-varaniya Karma.
  • Uninterrupted Bliss (Avyabadha) obscured by Vedaniya Karma.
  • Right Faith/Conduct (Samyaktva) obscured by Mohaniya Karma.
  • Eternal Existence (Akshaya Sthiti) obscured by Ayushya Karma.
  • Formlessness (Arupitva) obscured by Nama Karma.
  • Equilibrium (Agurulaghutva) obscured by Gotra Karma.
  • Infinite Power (Ananta Shakti) obscured by Antaraya Karma.

The Path to Liberation:

• The human birth is highlighted as the most conducive for attaining liberation through the shedding of karma.
• Intense penance (Tapa) is presented as a powerful method to destroy even the subtlest karmas.
• Overcoming inner flaws like anger, pride, deceit, and greed (Kashayas) leads to detachment (Vitaragata) and an equal outlook towards pleasure and pain.

The book concludes by emphasizing the vast cycle of transmigration (Samsara) that souls undergo, experiencing countless forms and realms, often without awareness of their suffering due to ignorance and attachment. It highlights the rarity and importance of a human birth within the Jain tradition, urging readers to make the most of this precious opportunity for spiritual advancement and liberation.