Jain Dharm Ke Mul Tattva - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain Dharm ke Mul Tattva" (Core Principles of Jainism), authored by Sagarmal Jain:

Introduction and Historical Context

The text begins by defining Jainism as the religion established by the Jinas (victors) who have conquered their senses, passions, and desires. It highlights Jainism's ancient name, Nirgranth Dharma, meaning a path free from attachment and aversion, signifying freedom from internal and external possessions. Jainism is also known as the religion of the Arhats, those who have conquered desires and are revered.

The author contrasts Jainism with Vedic religion. While Vedic religion emphasizes rituals and karma, Jainism, as a Shraman Dharma (ascetic tradition), focuses on austerity, renunciation, and detachment (tyaga and vairagya). This makes Jainism a nivrittimulak (renunciatory) religion aimed at liberation from worldly suffering through a path of renunciation.

The Genesis of Jainism

The book asserts that Jainism is an ancient religion, tracing its origins to Lord Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara in this era. Rishabhanatha is mentioned in Vedic and Puranic literature as a proponent of sannyasa (renunciation). He recognized that material abundance couldn't quell human desires and that true peace lay in renunciation and self-control. He renounced his kingdom and family to preach this path.

The lineage of Tirthankaras continued with 23 others, including Lord Arishtanemi (Krishna's cousin), who emphasized non-violence (ahimsa), and Lord Parshvanatha, who opposed ascetic practices that caused harm to others or were performed with ego. Parshvanatha advocated for non-violent austerity for self-purification.

Lord Mahavir Swami, the 24th Tirthankara, further strengthened the teachings by emphasizing celibacy (brahmacharya) and non-possession (aparigraha) alongside the four vows taught by Parshvanatha. Mahavir Swami's core emphasis was on purity of conduct and behavior, stating that "conduct is the foremost dharma." He particularly stressed ahimsa, anekanta (non-absolutism), and aparigraha for practical life.

Dukkha (Suffering) and Its Cessation (Moksha)

A central theme is the inherent dukkha (suffering) in worldly existence, encompassing birth, old age, illness, and death. The text quotes the Uttaradhyayana Sutra: "Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, disease and death are also suffering. What more, this entire worldly existence is suffering."

Mahavir Swami identified the root cause of this suffering as attachment to desires and sensory pleasures (bhogashakti). Attempts to satisfy desires only exacerbate them, like trying to fill a sieve with water. The text likens the pursuit of pleasure to scratching an itch, which provides temporary relief but perpetuates the underlying condition.

Suffering is categorized into:

Physical suffering: Caused by natural calamities and external factors.
Mental suffering: Arising from human desires and cravings.

The text emphasizes that true liberation from suffering lies not in fulfilling desires but in controlling them (sanyam) and cultivating detachment (nirapeksha). Desires are described as endless like the sky, and even immense wealth cannot satisfy them.

The Concepts of Bandhan (Bondage) and Nirjara (Austerity/Shedding of Karma)

The core of Jain philosophy, as presented, is the concept of karma. Every action, driven by emotions like anger, attachment, or aversion, creates karmic impressions (karma-sanskar) that bind the soul. This bondage, the text explains, obstructs the soul's inherent infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and power.

The eight types of karma that cloud the soul are detailed:

Gnanavaraniya: Obstructs knowledge.
Darshanavaraniya: Hinders perception.
Vedaniya: Determines pleasure and pain.
Mohaniya: Causes delusion and distorted views.
Namakarman: Shapes personality and physical/mental structure.
Gotrakarma: Determines one's environment and social standing.
Ayushyakarma: Dictates lifespan.
Antaraya: Creates obstacles in achieving goals.

The cycle of birth and death continues due to the influence of these karmas.

The path to liberation involves Samyama (restraint) and Nirjara (shedding of karma).

Samyama: This involves controlling the senses and preventing new karmas from accumulating. It's not about eliminating sensory experience but maintaining equanimity and detachment amidst them.
Nirjara: This is the process of shedding accumulated karmic impurities. It is achieved through tapa (austerity), which is not about self-torture but about severing attachment and possessiveness towards the body and external objects. Austerities, both external (like fasting) and internal (like self-study), are crucial for this purification.

Samyama and the Cessation of Karma Accumulation

The text explains that when the soul's senses are "open windows," karmic dust enters. To achieve purity, these windows must be closed through sense control (indriya samyama). This means, even when experiencing sensory input, the mind should remain free from attachment and aversion. Through constant practice, this detachment leads to successful samyama.

Soul (Jiva) and God (Paramatma)

The Jain perspective states that "Appa so Paramappa" – the soul is the Supreme Soul (God). Every conscious being is inherently divine, but this divine essence is obscured by layers of moha (attachment) and mamata (possessiveness), akin to sunlight hidden by clouds.

The soul's journey is described in three stages:

Bahiratman (Outer Soul): The soul entangled in worldly pleasures and sensory pursuits.
Antaratman (Inner Soul): The seeker who is detached from worldly pleasures.
Paramatman (Supreme Soul): The liberated soul, free from all karmic impurities, possessing infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and power.

The concept of "God" in Jainism is not a creator but an ideal perfected being. Praising such perfected beings serves to awaken one's own dormant divine potential and provides an inspirational model for spiritual progress. However, Jainism stresses that liberation is achieved through individual effort, not by praying to a divine being for salvation. This self-reliance is seen as crucial to maintaining one's dignity and intrinsic capabilities.

The Three Pillars of Jain Practice: Samyagdarshan, Samyagjnana, and Samyagcharitra

The path to liberation in Jainism is the Trividha Sadhana Marg (Threefold Path of Practice):

Samyagdarshan (Right Faith/Perception): This involves correct understanding and conviction regarding fundamental Jain principles. It's about recognizing the existence of the soul, its inherent nature, its actions, and the means to liberation. The five characteristics of samyagdarshan are equanimity (sam), spiritual joy (samvega), detachment (nivēda), compassion (anukampa), and faith in core principles (astikya). It's about seeing reality as it is, free from bias.
Samyagjnana (Right Knowledge): This is the correct understanding of reality, recognizing the distinction between the soul (atma) and non-soul (anatma). It involves understanding the multifaceted nature of truth through the Anekanta principle (non-absolutism). One-sided views are considered false knowledge. True knowledge arises from detachment and an open mind that respects diverse perspectives. The core of samyagjnana is bhed-vijnana (discrimination between the self and non-self).
Samyagcharitra (Right Conduct): This is the practical application of right faith and right knowledge in daily life. It is divided into two aspects:
- Vyavahar Charitra (Conducted Conduct): The external rules and observances, including vows for laypeople (e.g., ashtamulguns, dwadash vratas) and monks (e.g., pancha mahavratas, tri-gupti).
- Nishchay Charitra (Essential Conduct): The internal essence of conduct, which is the state of equanimity (samata) and self-absorption (atma-ramana). This state is achieved in the apramatta (non-heedless) stage of spiritual development, where desires and passions are fully extinguished.

The Central Tenets: Ahimsa, Anaagraha, and Aparigraha

These three principles are highlighted as the essence of Jain practice:

Ahimsa (Non-violence): The soul of Jain ethical philosophy. It's considered the supreme guiding principle that governs all Jain conduct. Ahimsa is defined as not causing any harm, distress, or pain to any living being in thought, word, or deed. It is rooted in the psychological understanding of all beings' desire to live and their aversion to suffering. It signifies respect for all life, equanimity, and a sense of oneness.
Anaagraha (Non-absolutism / Non-attachment to views): This is "ideological non-violence." It promotes respecting others' viewpoints and acknowledging that truth can be perceived from multiple angles (anekanta). It combats the illusion that only one's own perspective is correct. It emphasizes tolerance, intellectual humility, and seeking truth from all sources. Attachment to one's own opinions (paksha-graha) leads to conflict and hinders the perception of complete truth.
Aparigraha (Non-possession / Non-attachment): This principle addresses attachment in two forms: the desire for accumulation (sangraha-bhavana) and the desire for enjoyment (bhoga-bhavana). These desires lead to the appropriation of others' rights, resulting in exploitation (shoshana) and violence. Aparigraha advocates for detachment from material possessions and sensory indulgences. It implies sharing resources and practicing economic justice. The text states that sangraha (collection) is inherently violent, as it often involves harming others' interests. Therefore, renouncing or limiting external possessions is a practical expression of inner detachment.

In essence, Jainism advocates for detachment in thought (anasakti), non-absolutism in views (anekanta), and non-violence in action (ahimsa) as the core of its practice. The Jain prayer encapsulates this: "May my soul maintain friendliness towards all beings, respect for the virtuous, compassion for the distressed, and equanimity towards the contrary-minded."