Indriya Aur Indriya Gyan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Indriya aur Indriya Gyan" (Senses and Sensory Knowledge) by Nandighoshvijay, based on the provided pages:

This text, "Indriya aur Indriya Gyan: A Perspective from Modern Science and Jainism," authored by Nandighoshvijay, argues that Jainism is profoundly scientific, as its principles were established by omniscient Tirthankaras. The philosophy is considered to be eternal, existing from beginningless and endless time, with Tirthankaras having existed and continuing to exist infinitely. All Tirthankaras, the text states, propound the same fundamental principles. A unique characteristic of Tirthankaras is their vow of silence during their spiritual practice after renunciation, only beginning to preach after attaining Keval Gyan (omniscience).

The text then delves into the Jain classification of senses (Indriya) and how they relate to living beings. Jainism identifies five types of senses based on the organism's capabilities:

Touch (Sparshanendriya/Skin): Present in all living beings.
Taste (Rasnedriya/Tongue): Present in beings with two or more senses.
Smell (Ghranendriya/Nose): Present in beings with three or more senses.
Sight (Chakshurendriya/Eyes): Present in beings with four or more senses.
Hearing (Shravanendriya/Ears): Present in beings with five senses.

Based on these senses, Jainism categorizes beings:

Ekindriya (One-sensed): Possess only the sense of touch. Examples include Earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, and plant-bodied beings.
Dwiindriya (Two-sensed): Possess touch and taste. Examples include conch shells, oysters, leeches, worms, and earthworms.
Triindriya (Three-sensed): Possess touch, taste, and smell. Examples include bedbugs, lice, ants, termites, and moths.
Chaturindriya (Four-sensed): Possess touch, taste, smell, and sight. Examples include scorpions, bees, grasshoppers, and mosquitoes.
Panchindriya (Five-sensed): Possess all five senses. This category includes animals (cows, horses, elephants, lions, tigers), aquatic creatures (fish, crocodiles), amphibians (frogs), birds (parrots, mynahs, cuckoos, crows), reptiles (snakes, monitor lizards), and beings of higher realms like Devas (gods), humans, and Narakis (hell-dwelling beings).

The text then draws a parallel between a scientific article about a blind individual, Mike May, who regained sight but initially struggled to recognize people, and Jain philosophical concepts. Mike May, blinded in a childhood accident, excelled in activities requiring keen perception despite his blindness. After a successful cornea transplant and implant, he could see but couldn't discern individuals clearly.

This situation, the author explains, is analogous to the Jain understanding of sensory knowledge. Just as a computer has hardware and software, the human body is a sophisticated biological computer. The eyes, with their cornea and lens, are the hardware. However, the processing and recognition of visual information rely on the "software" of the mind and the visual center in the brain. Mike May's hardware (eyes) was functional, but his brain's software (the ability to interpret and process visual signals) was not yet adapted, leading to an inability to clearly recognize objects.

Jain scriptures, over 2500 years ago, articulated this concept through the distinction between Dravya Indriya (material/physical senses) and Bhava Indriya (mental/functional senses).

Dravya Indriya is further divided into:
- Nivritti: The physical organ itself (e.g., the skin, the tongue, the eyes). This is formed by karmic processes like angopanga namakarma and nirman namakarma.
- Upakaran: The functional capacity of the organ to perceive its object (e.g., the ability of the skin to feel touch, the tongue to taste). The absence of this functional capacity means the organ, despite its existence, cannot provide sensory experience.
Bhava Indriya is divided into:
- Labdhi: The inherent potential or capacity to process sensory input, akin to software. This capacity arises from the subsidence or destruction of obscuring karmas (like jnana-avaraniya and darshana-avaraniya). For example, beings in higher realms naturally possess the potential for all five senses due to their type of existence (jati namakarma).
- Upayog: The actual application or engagement of this potential to understand the sensory input. This occurs when the mind actively utilizes the sensory information.

The text emphasizes that the brain receives signals from the Dravya Indriya. The Bhava Indriya (Labdhi) within the brain then interprets these signals. When the mind engages with this interpretation (Upayog), the resulting experience is conveyed to the soul. The clarity and accuracy of this experience depend on the state of the obscuring karmas and the functioning of the Bhava Indriya.

The author highlights the superior functioning of the human eye compared to a camera. While cameras require manual focusing for each object, human eyes can focus on multiple objects at varying distances simultaneously with clarity. This seamless integration of sensory input and mental processing, facilitated by the mind, allows for clear perception and memory formation. The retention of these impressions as memory is attributed to the subsidence of obscuring karmas and the functioning of Bhava Indriya. These ingrained memories (samskaras) can even carry over to future lives, leading to innate memories (jatismaran jnana), which Jain philosophy considers a form of mati jnana (perceptual knowledge).

In essence, the text concludes that mere possession of the physical sense (Dravya Indriya) is insufficient for the soul to experience the external world. The sensory signals must be processed and understood by the functional senses (Bhava Indriya) with the aid of the mind. The mind acts as a crucial intermediary, connecting the sensory subject matter and its experience to the soul.

The text then discusses Kayotsarg, a form of meditation in Jainism. In Kayotsarg, the practitioner detaches from their physical body. Meditation, involving the concentration of mind, speech, and body, can be positive (Dharma-dhyan and Shukla-dhyan) or negative (Arta-dhyan and Raudra-dhyan). Deep contemplation in meditation is crucial for its effectiveness, and this contemplation is grounded in knowledge. Without knowledge, deep contemplation is impossible.

During Kayotsarg, the mind is engaged in deep thought, strengthening its connection to the soul and severing its connection with the external material senses (Dravya Indriya). Consequently, even if physical harm is inflicted, the soul experiences no suffering. The example of Lord Mahavir, who felt no pain when nails were driven into his ears but cried out when they were removed, illustrates this detachment. The author asserts that modern scientific discoveries are merely reaffirming concepts that Lord Mahavir expounded 2500 years ago in Jain scriptures.