Jain Darshan Sammat Mukta Mukti Swarup Sadhan - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Darshan Sammat Mukta Mukti Swarup Sadhan" by Devkumar Jain Shastri, based on the provided pages:

The book "Jain Darshan Sammat Mukta Mukti Swarup Sadhan" by Devkumar Jain Shastri explores the Jain perspective on the liberated state of the soul (Mukti) and the means to achieve it.

The Ultimate Goal of Indian Philosophy and Jainism:

The text begins by stating that while various Indian philosophies have different views on the soul and the universe, their common ultimate aim is liberation from the cycle of birth, old age, death, suffering, disease, and worldly attachments. This state of ultimate happiness and peace is known as Moksha. The contemplation and attainment of Moksha is considered a significant and distinctive feature of Indian thought, particularly in Jainism.

Purusharthas and the Supremacy of Moksha:

Indian philosophy identifies four primary goals or pursuits of human life (Purusharthas): Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation). Among these, Moksha is considered the supreme goal, as it offers freedom from the three types of suffering that afflict all beings: spiritual, divine, and physical.

Jainism's Spiritual Approach to Moksha:

Jainism is fundamentally an spiritualist philosophy. Its core objective is to attain absolute happiness and ultimate peace. The text then delves into how Jainism addresses crucial questions related to Moksha:

The Nature of Ultimate Happiness: What is the ideal state of the soul for achieving this happiness?
The Soul's Deviation: Why is the soul, which is inherently pure, distant from this perfect state?
Causes of Deviation: What are the reasons for this deviation?
States of the Soul: What conditions does the soul experience due to these causes?
Overcoming Obstacles: How can these debilitating conditions (Upadhis) be removed?
The Path to Liberation: What stages does the soul go through as it sheds these obstacles?
The State of Liberation: What is the nature of the soul's attainment after reaching the final stage, and how long does it remain in that state?

Eligibility for Moksha:

The text emphasizes that liberation is not for everyone but for those who qualify. While all beings instinctively desire freedom from bondage (like a caged parrot or a bound snake), the achievement of liberation is based on capability. The general and minimum qualifications for Moksha include:

Freedom from possessiveness, ego, enmity, hatred, anger, and pride.
Silence, right vision, virtuous conduct.
Moderate eating and speaking, control of senses, detachment.
Renunciation of worldly beginnings and possessions.
Complete abstinence from violence.
Steadfast adherence to self-control.
Following the teachings of the Nimgrantha (Jain ascetics).
Indifference to life and death.
Knowledge of what should be abandoned, what should be known, and what should be adopted.
Integration of knowledge and action.

Obstacles and Aids to Moksha:

The text compares worldly hindrances like chains and imprisonment to spiritual obstacles. In Jainism, karma is the primary obstacle to the soul's liberation.

Karma and its Binding: The soul has been bound by karma since time immemorial. The influx of karma into the soul is called Asrava, and the actual binding is called Bandha. Karma obscures the soul's true nature.
Types of Karma: Karma has two forms:
- Dravya Karma: Material particles of karma.
- Bhava Karma: The soul's impure states like attachment, aversion, and passions.
- These two are interconnected: as long as the soul experiences passions, material karma will continue to attach, and vice versa.
Causes of Asrava and Bandha: There are five main causes: delusion (Mithyatva), vows (Avirati), carelessness (Pramada), passions (Kashaya), and activities of mind, speech, and body (Yoga). Passions and Yoga are considered the most significant as they facilitate the attraction and adherence of karmic particles.

The Process of Karmic Cessation: Samvara and Nirjara:

The bondage of karma, although seemingly eternal, is finite and can be ended. Just as impure gold can be purified through fire, the soul can shed its karmic encumbrances. Jainism prescribes a two-pronged approach:

Samvara (Stoppage of Influx): This involves blocking the channels through which new karma enters the soul. The causes of Samvara are:
- Gupti (Control): Control of mind, speech, and body.
- Samiti (Vigilance): Careful conduct in walking, speaking, eating, etc.
- Dharma (Righteousness): Contemplation of virtues.
- Anupreksha (Reflection): Deep contemplation on the nature of the world and the body.
- Parishaha (Endurance): Tolerating hardships.
- Charitra (Conduct): Righteous behavior.
Nirjara (Shedding of Accumulated Karma): This involves the gradual or complete destruction of karma that has already accumulated. The causes of Nirjara are the same as Samvara, with a special emphasis on Tapa (Austerities). Tapa is essential for burning away the karma clinging to the soul. Tapa is divided into:
- Bahya Tapa (External Austerities): Fasting, eating less, restricting desires, renouncing rich foods, enduring physical hardships, and withdrawing senses.
- Abhyantara Tapa (Internal Austerities): Penance, humility, service, self-study, meditation, and detachment from the body and passions.

Internal austerities are considered more significant for karma removal.

The Result of Samvara and Nirjara: Moksha:

When Samvara and Nirjara lead to the complete annihilation of karma, the soul reaches the state of Moksha. Moksha is defined as:

The Soul's complete perfection and fulfillment.
The attainment of the supreme human goal.
The soul becoming free from karmic stain, the physical body, and all worldly attachments.
The manifestation of infinite, inherent qualities like knowledge and perception.
A state of unobstructed bliss.
Complete freedom from all limitations.

Types of Moksha:

While Moksha itself is singular, it can be viewed from different perspectives:

Bhava Moksha (Psychic Liberation): The attainment of pure soul-states like infinite knowledge, perception, and perfect conduct.
Dravya Moksha (Material Liberation): The complete destruction of all types of karma, including the four ghati karma (knowledge-obscuring, perception-obscuring, deluding, and obstruction-causing) and the four aghati karma (feeling-producing, lifespan-determining, name-determining, and lineage-determining).
Bhava Moksha is also referred to as Jivanmukta (liberated while alive), and Dravya Moksha as Videhmukta (liberated after the death of the physical body).

Intrinsic Qualities of the Liberated Soul (Muktatma):

The liberated soul is not devoid of qualities, as some other philosophies suggest. Instead, it regains and fully manifests its inherent, eternal qualities, which were previously obscured by karma. These qualities include:

Infinite Knowledge (Ananta Gyan)
Infinite Perception (Ananta Darshan)
Unobstructed Bliss (Avyavadh Sukha)
Eternal Right Faith (Kshayika Samyakitva)
Eternal Existence (Akshaya Sthiti)
Formlessness (Amurtatva)
Inertia/Immutability (Agurulaghutva)
Infinite Energy/Potency (Ananta Virya)

These qualities remain constant and undiminished.

The Abode of the Liberated Soul:

After shedding the gross and subtle bodies, the liberated soul ascends in a straight line (Avigraha Gati) to the topmost part of the universe, a region called Siddhashila (the abode of the Siddhas). This upward movement is facilitated by the presence of Dharmastikaya (the principle of motion) up to that point and the soul's inherent tendency for upward movement, analogous to a flame rising upwards.

The Nature of the Liberated Soul:

The liberated soul is formless and indescribable by conventional language, logic, or intellect. It is neither short nor long, has no color, smell, taste, or touch, and is neither male, female, nor neuter. The text uses the "neti-neti" (not this, not this) approach to convey its nature, meaning what it is not.

The Dimension of the Liberated Soul:

The liberated soul occupies a space in the Siddhashila that is equivalent to the height of its last physical body in the universe, minus one-third. The scriptures mention maximum heights of the last body ranging from five hundred Dhanush (a measure of length) to two Hastas (cubits), with the liberated soul's spatial occupation being proportionally reduced.

The Unending Nature of Souls and Liberation:

The text addresses the question of whether the universe can become empty of souls. It argues that since both time and souls are infinite, the universe will never be empty, even with an infinite number of souls attaining liberation. Just as the future remains infinitely vast, the infinity of souls ensures that the cycle of transmigration continues.

No Return to the World for the Liberated Soul:

Liberated souls do not return to the cycle of birth and death because they are completely purified of karmic impurities, much like pure gold does not become impure again. Their karmic seeds have been burnt, preventing the sprouting of future existences.

The Realm of Liberation (Mukti Kshetra):

The text describes the Mukti Kshetra (realm of liberation) as being located at the apex of the universe. It spans an area of forty-five lakh Yojanas (a measure of distance) and has a tapering thickness, from eight Yojanas at the bottom to thinner than a fly's wing at the top. It is pure white, like a conch shell, crystal, or jasmine flower, and has an umbrella-like shape. It is situated twelve Yojanas above the Sarvartha Siddha Viman and is surrounded by three layers of subtle matter.

The text then lists twelve meaningful names for this realm, each highlighting a specific characteristic: Ishat (small relative to other earths), Ishat Pragbhara (slight height), Tanvi (thin), Tanutanvi (thinner than other thin substances), Siddhi (place of attainment of perfection), Siddhalaya (abode of the Siddhas), Mukti (place of liberation), Muktalaya (abode of the liberated), Lokagra (top of the universe), Lokagrastupika (peak of the universe), Lokagraprativahini (flowing along the top of the universe), and Sarvajiva (where all souls reach and find eternal happiness).

The Path to Liberation (Moksha Marg):

The path to liberation is understood through the knowledge of four fundamental aspects:

Samsara (The Cycle of Birth and Death): The state of worldly existence.
Samsara Hetu (Causes of Samsara): The factors that perpetuate the cycle (karma, passions, etc.).
Moksha (Liberation): The ultimate goal.
Moksha Upaya (Means to Liberation): The methods to achieve Moksha.

Nishchaya and Vyavahara in Moksha Marg:

The path to liberation is viewed from two perspectives:

Nishchaya (Ultimate Truth): The direct realization of pure, inherent soul-states like infinite knowledge and perception.
Vyavahara (Conventional Truth): The combined practice of Right Faith (Samyakdarshan), Right Knowledge (Samyakgyan), and Right Conduct (Samyakcharitra), as stated by Acharya Umaswati: "Samyakdarshan-gyan-charitrani Mokshamargah." Austerities (Tapa) are considered an integral part of Right Conduct.

The Significance of "Samyak" (Right):

The adjective "Samyak" is crucial, indicating that faith, knowledge, and conduct must be "right" or "correct". Incorrect faith, knowledge, or conduct leads to further bondage.

Characteristics of Samyakdarshan, Samyakgyan, and Samyakcharitra:

Samyakdarshan (Right Faith): Faith in the true nature of reality, free from delusion. It involves understanding and believing in the soul, soul-substances, and other fundamental principles of Jainism.
Samyakgyan (Right Knowledge): Accurate knowledge of reality, free from doubt, error, and incomplete understanding. The five types of right knowledge are Mati (sense-perception), Shruta (scriptural knowledge), Avadhi (clairvoyance), Manaparyaya (telepathy), and Kevala (omniscience).
Samyakcharitra (Right Conduct): Renunciation of evil and adherence to virtuous actions, both externally (actions of body and speech) and internally (mental states). It follows Right Knowledge, which in turn follows Right Faith.

Interdependence and Completeness of the Means:

The text highlights the interdependence and need for completeness of these three means:

Samyakdarshan and Samyakgyan are simultaneous: Just as the sun's light and heat appear together when clouds clear, right faith and right knowledge arise together.
Samyakcharitra may follow: Right conduct may occur simultaneously with right faith and knowledge, or it may manifest after a period.
Perfection is sequential: The progression is typically Samyakdarshan, then Samyakgyan, and finally Samyakcharitra. The absence or incompleteness of any one of these prevents liberation. Even in the highest stages of spiritual development, the complete absence of passions and activities of the mind, speech, and body is necessary for ultimate liberation.

The Analogy of Health:

Just as regaining health requires faith in the medicine, knowledge of its use, and adherence to the prescribed regimen, spiritual liberation requires the integration of all three: right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.

Psychological Perspective:

From a psychological viewpoint, these three correspond to the faculties of knowledge, desire, and effort (action). Right knowledge is the knowledge faculty, right faith is the desire or volition, and right conduct is the effort or action. Their unified functioning is essential for success, including liberation.

Moksha is Not an Absence, but a Positive State:

The text asserts that Moksha is not merely a negation of suffering but a positive state of absolute perfection and bliss. It cites scriptural evidence and reasoning to demonstrate its existence, akin to predicting celestial events or understanding cause and effect. The cessation of suffering and the causes of suffering (karma) leads to the soul's perfect state, which is Moksha.

In summary, "Jain Darshan Sammat Mukta Mukti Swarup Sadhan" provides a detailed exposition of the Jain understanding of Moksha, emphasizing the soul's innate purity, the obstacles of karma, the crucial processes of Samvara and Nirjara, and the indispensable triad of Samyakdarshan, Samyakgyan, and Samyakcharitra as the singular path to achieving the ultimate liberation and the inherent qualities of the soul in its eternal, blissful state at the apex of the universe.