Dekhna Matra Dekhna Hi Ho

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Dekhna Matra Dekhna Hi Ho" by Satyanarayan Goyanka, based on the provided PDF pages:

The text tells the story of an aged, respected Jain monk living in Suparaka (modern-day Sopara), an ancient port city near Mumbai. This monk, with his white hair, long beard, and saffron robes, was widely adored by the wealthy and influential citizens. They would visit him daily, touch his feet, and offer him donations, food, and medicine, believing he had attained the enlightened state of an Arhat.

However, one day, a well-meaning individual gently informed the monk that he had not yet achieved the Arhat state, nor was he even on the path. This revelation deeply shook him. Upon reflection, he realized that his mind was still influenced by impurities and that despite his concentration practices, his thoughts were not entirely free from these afflictions. He questioned if anyone in the world was truly free from these mental defilements.

He was told that Prince Siddhartha Gautama of Kapilvastu, who had left his home in search of truth, had discovered a method to overcome all mental impurities through practice and had attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha. The Buddha was currently residing in Jetavan Vihara and was compassionately teaching this path to liberation from suffering to everyone.

Hearing this, the monk was stirred. He had been a renunciate for many years, seeking liberation, but had not achieved it. While he received honor and respect for his outward appearance and practices, people were unaware of his internal state. He realized the futility of this false honor, as his true goal remained unfulfilled. Knowing his advanced age and the limited time left in his human life, he resolved to learn the method of liberation that the Buddha had discovered. A new sense of vigor filled his aging body, and he immediately set out for Shravasti.

Upon arriving at Jetavan Vihara, he learned that the Buddha had gone into the city for alms. The monks at the Vihara suggested he rest and wait for the Buddha's return. As he journeyed towards Shravasti, he encountered the Buddha, described as having a serene, compassionate, and peaceful demeanor. Overwhelmed with devotion, the monk prostrated himself and implored the Buddha to teach him the practice of pure Dharma that would bring lasting welfare and happiness.

The Buddha initially suggested it was not the opportune time, but the monk’s earnest plea, citing the uncertainty of life, persuaded him to teach. The Buddha then imparted the core teaching: "Dekhna, matra dekhna hi ho; Sunna, matra sunna hi ho" (See, just see; Hear, just hear). This extended to all senses: to smell, just smell; to taste, just taste; to touch, just touch; and to know, just know.

The intelligent monk understood this profound instruction. It meant that at the moment of experiencing anything through the six sense doors (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and mind), one should only be aware of that particular experience, and that awareness should remain just that – pure awareness. He learned to observe each moment, each sensory input, without any reaction, breaking down time into the smallest possible units, known as chitta-kshan (moments of consciousness).

The text explains that in such a tiny moment, only one event occurs. However, the rapid flow of time makes us accustomed to perceiving life as a continuous stream, like a fast-moving film where individual frames are indistinguishable. This leads to perceptual distortions, the creation of illusions, and the linking of past and future, which fuels attachment, aversion, and delusion.

The practice involves observing an experience solely as awareness. However, the natural tendency is to immediately recognize it through sanjna (perception), which relies on past experiences. This recognition triggers prapancha (proliferation) – the moment is lost, and we dwell in the past or future. We start evaluating whether the experience is pleasant or unpleasant, leading to samskaras (mental imprints or tendencies). If the experience is perceived as good, raga (attachment) arises; if bad, dvesha (aversion) arises. The mind then creates future scenarios based on these reactions.

The Buddha's teaching emphasizes stopping at the point of mere knowing. If one witnesses seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or thinking only as those actions, without further mental elaboration, prapancha does not begin or escalate. Being anarambhi (non-initiating) leads to freedom from proliferation.

The monk diligently practiced this, observing the five senses and the mind. He realized that the mind is far more active than the physical senses, and any sensory experience has a profound impact on the mind. The entire proliferation and expansion of suffering originates from the mind. As long as we are alive and our sensory gates are open, something constantly enters, and the "mad mind" begins the cycle of attachment and aversion, creating suffering.

By fragmenting the stream of consciousness into individual moments, we prevent the present from being linked to the past and future. This fragmentation breaks the illusion of a continuous "I" or self that accumulates experiences. The persistent belief in "I am" (aham) fuels attachments and intensifies the fire of attachment and aversion. This "I am" is ignorance (avidya).

Through sustained practice, the monk was able to break down the film reel of life. The illusion of "I am" transformed into "there is" (I is), which then became a mere convention for worldly interaction. The delusion of a separate self dissolved. He began to experience each moment distinctly. Wisdom awakened, all suffering born of ignorance ceased, and new knots of attachment and aversion stopped forming, while old ones began to unravel.

In this state, the illusion of "I see" vanished, and "seeing became just seeing." Similarly, hearing became just hearing, smelling just smelling, tasting just tasting, touching just touching, and knowing just knowing. The truth of "it is happening" replaced the feeling of "I am doing" or "I am experiencing." Ego was replaced by ego-lessness, and the sense of self (atma-bhava) transformed into non-self (anatma-bhava).

He realized experientially that these sensory experiences do not contain a self, nor does a self hold these senses. The Buddha had explained to the monk that when "seeing becomes just seeing," the delusion that "you are because of seeing" (tvam na tena) is destroyed, and subsequently, the delusion that "you are in seeing" (tvam na tatr) is also eradicated. Attaining this egoless state leads to the realization of supramundane nirvana, the cessation of suffering.

The monk, understanding this teaching, began to practice it in his life. With his death imminent, he entered seclusion and, by fragmenting the continuous flow of his mind, began to observe each moment as it was. Through this process, the sense of self (asmita) dissolved, he was freed from past conditioning, his mind became detached, free from asravas (karmic influxes), and he attained the state of ultimate Nirvana. The monk had fulfilled his life's purpose.

When the Buddha returned from his alms round, the monk's life had ended. Upon being asked about his journey, the Buddha declared that he had attained a state beyond all movements, that he had reached Parinirvana. The Buddha then recited verses describing this state, which is beyond the elements, beyond light and darkness, and where the cycle of suffering and duality ceases, leading to liberation.