Gyanarnava

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Gyanarnava" by Acharya Shubhachandra, as presented in the provided PDF excerpt, translated into English:

Title: Gyanarnava Author: Acharya Shubhachandra Compiler/Commentator: Prof. Sou. Padma Killedar (Nagpur) Publisher: Z_Acharya_Shantisagar_Janma_Shatabdi_Mahotsav_Smruti_Granth_012022.pdf

Introduction and Overview:

The text begins by highlighting the destructive power of worry (chinta) compared to cremation fire (chita), noting that worry burns the living, while fire burns the dead. The primary objective of meditation (dhyana) is to "burn" this consuming worry. The author posits that life, from waking to sleeping, is characterized by worry about the past, present, and future. Meditation, as discussed in Jain scriptures, offers a solution to permanently conquer this worry.

The Gyanarnava is presented as a seminal work on meditation within Jainism. It is noted that while the concept of meditation is mentioned in Kundakundacharya's works and systematized in Umaswami's Tattvartha Sutra, and explained by Pujyapada and discussed by Bhatta-kalanka, Acharya Shubhachandra's Gyanarnava provides a profoundly detailed and comprehensive exploration of meditation from all perspectives and its various components. This summary is intended as a brief introduction for those aspiring for liberation (mumukshu).

Author and Historical Context:

Acharya Shubhachandra is well-known among the Jain community for his significant contributions. He, like many ascetics of his tradition, was averse to fame and did not mention his name in his works. However, his writings refer to esteemed preceptors such as Pujyapada, Kavi-indra-Surya Samantabhadra, and Bhatta-kalanka-deva Acharya Jinasena. Acharya Jinasena preceded Shubhachandra, indicating that Shubhachandra lived after the 9th century CE. Precise dating is challenging due to a lack of historical evidence.

Titles and Subject Matter:

The work is referred to by its author as Gyanarnava and Dhyana Shastra (Science of Meditation). It is also known as Yogararnava in common parlance due to its content on principles and practices essential for yogis, leading to the purification of mind, speech, and body. The term "Yogarnava" likely stems from "Yuj" (to join), signifying the union for liberation, and the extensive discussion of pure religious practices of mind, speech, and body.

The central theme of the Gyanarnava is knowledge-seeking (jnana sadhana), yoga-seeking (yoga sadhana), and meditation-seeking (dhyana sadhana).

Structure and Key Concepts:

The book systematically builds a foundation for meditation through various stages:

1. Preparation and Foundation:

   • Anupreksha (Contemplations): The text begins with a prelude to meditation, explaining its purpose and inspiring the pursuit of meditation through knowledge acquisition. For disciples with limited capacity, twelve Anuprekshas are presented as preparatory steps. These contemplations, including the impermanence of wealth, the fragility of the body, and the inevitability of death, evoke a sense of helplessness and the absence of external saviors, prompting introspection on the transient nature of existence.
   • Renunciation and Detachment: The initial focus is on cultivating detachment from sensual pleasures, worldly desires, and the physical body.
   • Threefold Ideation (Ashaya): The text discusses the dependence on impure, pure, and auspicious ideations, leading to three types of meditation: impure (apashasta), auspicious (prashasta), and pure (shuddha).
   • Meditators (Dhyata): Those who have conquered their senses, are self-controlled, resolute, aspiring for liberation, diligent, and tranquil are considered suitable meditators.
   • Barriers to Meditation: The text clearly states that householders, due to mental flaws, lust, internal anger, and negligence, cannot achieve meditative success.

2. Categorization of Meditation and Meditators:

   • Unsuitable Meditators: The text lists 367 opposing philosophical schools (Nityavadi, Sankhya, Nyaya, Vedanta, Mimamsa, Buddhistic Anityavadi, Kriavadi, Akriavadi, Jnanavadi, Vinayavadi) as unsuitable, considering them all as possessing incorrect views (mithyadrushti).
   • Suitable Meditators: Those who are eager for knowledge, possess feelings of friendliness (maitri), delight (pramoda), compassion (karunya), and equanimity (madhyastha) to purify their minds, are devoid of attachments, and have conquered their senses, can achieve meditative success.
   • Prerequisites for Meditation: Meditation is considered successful only with the purification of the Three Jewels (Ratnatraya): right faith (samyaktva), right knowledge (jnana), and right conduct (charitra). The text details their various types and discusses their merits and demerits.
   • Vow of Non-violence (Ahimsa): The vow of non-violence is elaborated upon with great subtlety and detail.
   • Vow of Truthfulness (Satya): This vow emphasizes the importance of truthful, beneficial, measured, and compassionate speech, while condemning harsh, deceitful, or hurtful words.
   • Great Vow of Celibacy (Brahmacharya): This vow is discussed in depth, covering types of sexual practices, the faults and virtues of women, association with women, and the service of elders.
   • Renunciation of Possessions (Parigraha): Internal and external possessions are discussed, along with brief descriptions of the 25 contemplations, five disciplines (samiti), and three restraints (gupti).
   • Anger and Other Passions: The destructive nature of anger and other passions on conduct and meditation is also described.
   • Meditation on Inner Self: After establishing the necessary groundwork, the text beautifully describes the meditation on concepts like Shiva, Kama, and Garuda, reinterpreting them as inherent aspects of the self, subtly guiding the reader without alienating them.
   • Control of Mind: The text advocates for controlling the mind, analyzing mental activities, and emphasizes that stability in one's own true nature is meditation. It encourages the mind to be free from attachment, aversion, and delusion, explaining that attachment leads to bondage and detachment to liberation.

3. Equanimity and the Nature of Meditation:

   • The text states that meditation centered on equanimity (samya bhava) is preached by those who see the universe as it is. This equanimity leads to the understanding that even auspicious things are to be relinquished, thereby elevating individuals from focusing solely on auspiciousness as religion. The ultimate aim of meditation is to achieve this unwavering equanimity.
   • True Knowledge and Meditation: While knowledge and meditation are intrinsically beneficial, our ignorance misuses knowledge for delusion and meditation for hellish rebirths. Therefore, impure meditation is to be rejected.
   • Progressive Teaching: The Jain tradition of teaching the highest principles first and then guiding students through lower principles based on their capacity is adopted by Shubhachandra.
   • Definition of Meditation: Meditation is defined as the stabilization of the mind on a single point. While this definition might not encompass all forms of meditation (e.g., unconscious meditation), it primarily refers to deliberate meditation by sentient beings. It acknowledges that meditation beyond intellectual capacity is not included.
   • Monastic Focus: The text focuses on meditation as a practice for monks, given the principle that liberation is attained through human existence and asceticism.

4. Types of Meditation:

   • Impure Meditation (Aprashasta Dhyana): This includes Arta Dhyana (sorrowful meditation) and Raudra Dhyana (fierce meditation).
     • Arta Dhyana: Arising from pain, sorrow, separation from the beloved, illness, or attachment to pleasures, it occurs from the first to the sixth spiritual stages (gunasthana). It is associated with dark, blue, and brown dispositions (leshya) and naturally arises. It leads to the animal realm (tiryanagati).
     • Raudra Dhyana: Arising from cruel intentions, it includes delight in violence, falsehood, theft, and protection of ill-gotten gains. Primarily associated with the dark disposition (krishna leshya), it leads to hellish rebirths. It occurs up to the fifth spiritual stage.
   • Auspicious Meditation (Prashasta Dhyana): This includes Dharmya Dhyana (religious meditation) and Shukla Dhyana (pure meditation).
     • Dharmya Dhyana: This meditation can only be pursued after establishing the groundwork of equanimity, control of senses and mind, and detachment from desires. The meditator should be knowledgeable, detached, stable, aspiring for liberation, diligent, peaceful, and courageous.
     • Four Contemplations for Dharmya Dhyana:
       1. Maithri (Friendliness): Affectionate and beneficial feelings towards all beings.
       2. Karuna (Compassion): Relieving the suffering of those in distress.
       3. Mudita/Pramoda (Appreciative Joy): Delight in the virtues of others.
       4. Madhyastha (Equanimity): Maintaining indifference towards those who act wrongly. These contemplations help control passions and illuminate the path to liberation.
     • Suitable and Unsuitable Locations: Unsuitable locations include those associated with sinners, wicked kingdoms, heretical teachers, demonic deities, proud merchants, places of addiction, battlefields, and any place causing agitation. Suitable locations are holy sites, mountains, forests, caves, temples, empty houses, gardens, etc.
     • Suitable Postures: Lotus posture, half-lotus, vajrasana, virasana, sukhasana, kamalasana, and kayotsarga are mentioned.
     • Direction: Meditation facing north or east is recommended, though not binding for monks with the Three Jewels.
     • Stages: Dharmya Dhyana is practiced from the fourth to the seventh spiritual stage.
     • Meditation Posture: A straight, firm body, a serene face, and an unwavering gaze are described.
   • Other Schools' Meditation Principles: The text acknowledges that other schools (like Sankhya) mention eight limbs of yoga (asanas, pranayama, etc.) but states that their focus is primarily on worldly and physical perfection without a strong philosophical basis. Shubhachandra integrates these with Jain philosophy.
   • Pranayama (Breath Control): The text discusses pranayama, its purpose being the stabilization of the mind for concentration and the subjugation of sensory distractions. It explains the three types of breath control (stambhana, purana, kumbhaka, and rechaka) and their benefits in weakening passions and focusing the mind on the self. The four elemental spheres (earth, water, fire, wind) are also described.
   • Pratyahara (Sense Withdrawal): This is the process of withdrawing the senses from their objects and directing the mind inwards, essential for achieving stability after the distractions of pranayama.
   • Types of Souls: The text differentiates between the outer soul (bahiratma - identifying the self with the body), inner soul (antar atma - meditating on the self), and supreme soul (paramatma - the utterly pure self).
   • Dharmya Dhyana Culmination: Dharmya Dhyana is perfected at the seventh spiritual stage, leading to the ascent through higher stages and the attainment of Shukla Dhyana.

5. Shukla Dhyana (Pure Meditation):

   • This meditation is characterized by its absence of action, transcendence of senses, and focus on the self. It is practiced by monks with strong resolve, proper conduct, and a weakened state of passions.
   • Four Types of Shukla Dhyana:
     1. Prithaktva Vitarka Vichara: Associated with learned monks, involves the contemplation of scriptures and their meanings.
     2. Ekattva Vitarka Avichara: Involves concentration on a single object, substance, or attribute, leading to the suppression or destruction of karma.
     3. Sukshmakriya Pratipati: Practiced by those in the stage of Sayogi Kevali (omniscient beings with residual life), where mental and verbal activities cease, and only subtle physical activity remains.
     4. Vyuparata Kriya Nivarti: Practiced by Ayogi Kevali (omniscient beings without any physical activity), leading to the destruction of the remaining non-destructive karmas and liberation.

6. The Fourfold Meditation Categories: The Gyanarnava is credited with introducing or significantly elaborating on four distinct categories of meditation:

   • Pindastha Dhyana (Body-centered Meditation): Involves visualizing various elements and centers within the body, including a vast ocean, a lotus, and internal fires, to purify the self. It includes five specific visualizations (Dharanas).
   • Padmastha Dhyana (Symbol-based Meditation): Focuses on meditating on sacred syllables, mantras, and the divine forms of Jinas. This includes detailed descriptions of various mantras and their benefits, emphasizing their connection to the liberated souls.
   • Rupastha Dhyana (Form-based Meditation): Centers on meditating on the form of the Tirthankara, the omniscient Jina, with great devotion.
   • Rupatita Dhyana (Formless Meditation): This is the meditation on the attributeless, formless, and imperceptible supreme soul, achieved by stabilizing the mind and focusing on the qualities of the liberated soul.

Contribution and Style:

The author's style is compared to that of the poet Bhartrihari, employing various aesthetic sentiments (rasa) like heroism, peace, disgust, eroticism, pathos, wonder, and ferocity to make the subject engaging. The Gyanarnava is hailed as a supreme text of Jain yoga, capable of inspiring deep meditation and devotion.

The compiler, Padma Killedar, expresses her efforts in undertaking the vast and profound work of presenting Gyanarnava, acknowledging the profound spiritual insights of Acharya Shubhachandra and the guiding influence of Digambara Jain monks. She hopes the book inspires interest and study, leading readers to share in the path of liberation. She humbly takes responsibility for any flaws in her presentation.

Conclusion:

The Gyanarnava is a monumental work that systematically guides the aspirant from the initial stages of ethical conduct and detachment to the highest forms of pure meditation. It emphasizes that knowledge acquisition is the prerequisite for meditative practice, and through meditation, liberation can be achieved. The book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and practicing meditation within the Jain philosophical context, enriching the tradition with its detailed exploration and innovative categorizations.