Jain Sadhna Ke Manovaigyanik Adhar

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain Sadhna ke Manovaigyanik Adhar" (Psychological Foundations of Jain Sadhana) by Sagarmal Jain, focusing on its core arguments:

Overall Theme:

The book "Jain Sadhna ke Manovaigyanik Adhar" by Sagarmal Jain argues that Jain Sadhana (spiritual practice) is deeply rooted in psychological principles and aims to achieve the perfection of human consciousness. The author posits that the ultimate goal of Jain Sadhana is Samattva (equanimity or balance), which is achieved through the development and perfection of the three aspects of consciousness: knowledge, experience/feeling, and will/resolution.

Key Concepts and Arguments:

• The Goal of Sadhana: Sadhana's aim is the attainment or realization of its objective. The book emphasizes that what we can become is significantly influenced by what we are. Our potential lies in the three aspects of consciousness: knowledge, experience, and resolution. An ideal or goal that is impossible to achieve would be an illusion. Jainism, according to the author, deeply understands this psychological reality and bases its Sadhana methodology on a solid psychological foundation.

• Three Aspects of Consciousness and Moral Ideals: Jain philosophy identifies three key aspects of consciousness:

  • Knowledge (Gyan): This relates to the cognitive aspect.
  • Experience/Feeling (Anubhuti/Bhav): This pertains to the emotional and experiential aspect.
  • Resolution/Will (Sankalp/Charitra): This refers to the volitional and ethical conduct aspect. Jainism links its moral ideals directly to the development of these three aspects. The ultimate ideal in Jainism is Moksha (liberation), which is described as the Anantachatushthaya (the Four Infinite Qualities): infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, and infinite power. Moksha is thus the perfection of these three aspects of consciousness.

• Samattva as the Core Ideal: The book posits that Samattva (equanimity, balance, equilibrium) is the fundamental principle underlying Jain Sadhana and the ultimate goal.

  • Life as Dynamic Equilibrium: Drawing from Western thinkers like Dr. Radhakrishnan and Herbert Spencer, the text describes life as a process of dynamic equilibrium. External factors constantly disrupt this balance, and life strives to restore it through its activities.
  • Samattva as Natural State: The author argues that seeking and maintaining Samattva is the inherent nature of life, not just a struggle for survival. While developmentalists might call this a struggle for existence, Jainism sees it as an effort to establish and maintain equilibrium.
  • Samattva vs. Struggle: The text critically examines the idea that struggle is the fundamental nature of life, as proposed by some thinkers. It argues that struggle is not the inherent nature of life but rather a deviation from it. If struggle were the natural state, then the desire to overcome struggle would contradict this. Therefore, Samattva, the state of overcoming struggle and achieving balance, is the true ideal because it is our inherent nature.

• The Nature of the Self and the Illusion of Struggle:

  • The Soul is Samattva: According to Mahavir, the soul is inherently in a state of Samattva, and that is its ultimate goal. Wherever there is life and consciousness, there is an ongoing effort to establish Samattva.
  • Struggle as a Deviation: The book argues that any deviation from Samattva, such as desire, attachment, aversion, and internal debate, represents imbalance, disharmony, and tension in life. These are considered inauspicious. Conversely, states of being free from desires, debates, attachment, and aversion are auspicious and represent the ideal state of Samattva, which is a spiritual equilibrium.
  • Struggle is Not the True Nature: The author asserts that struggle is not the fundamental nature of the soul but rather a reflection of its impurities and deviations (Vibhava). Human history, when viewed through this lens, is not a story of struggle but a story of the overcoming of struggles.

• Self-Perfection (Atmapurna) as the Goal of Moral Sadhana:

  • Moksha as Self-Perfection: Moksha is also understood as the state of self-perfection. Achieving complete Samattva requires self-perfection, as incompleteness itself is a source of mental tension.
  • Consciousness Strives for Perfection: Our practical life and conscious efforts are directed towards transcending the limitations of time and space in the cognitive, emotional, and volitional aspects of our consciousness. Individuals seek the perfection of their knowledge, experience, and resolution capabilities.
  • The Desire for Freedom from Limitations: The book explains that the human mind naturally desires to escape its limitations and imperfections. Jainism expresses this desire as the concept of Moksha. The awareness of our incompleteness is itself an indicator of the inner longing for completeness.
  • True Perfection is Inner Revelation: The author cites Bradley's idea that consciousness yearns for the infinite. Jainism believes that the soul is inherently perfect, possessing the Four Infinite Qualities. The realization of this inherent perfection is the goal. It is not about acquiring something external but about the full manifestation of our own inherent qualities.

• The Relationship Between Goal, Practitioner, and Path:

  • Abhed (Non-Duality) of Goal and Practitioner: Jain ethical philosophy considers the goal (Sadhya) and the practitioner (Sadhak) to be essentially non-different. The practitioner's impure state (Vibhava) is the state of being a Sadhak, while the soul's pure, inherent state (Svabhava) is the state of the Siddha (liberated soul). The journey from impurity to purity is Sadhana.
  • Abhed of Path and Goal: Similarly, the path of Sadhana and the goal are also considered non-different. The soul's cognitive, emotional, and volitional capacities, when directed towards proper development, become the path of Sadhana. When these capacities achieve their full potential, they become the Siddha state.
  • Samya-Gyan, Samya-Darshan, Samya-Charitra: The author elaborates on how the three core Jain practices – Right Knowledge (Samyak Gyan), Right Perception (Samyak Darshan), and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) – lead to the attainment of the Four Infinite Qualities.
  • Inner Discovery: The ultimate goal is not an external achievement but an internal discovery of one's true nature. Sadhana is about revealing one's inherent qualities, not acquiring new ones. The difference between the Sadhak and the Siddha lies not in their capabilities but in the realization of those capabilities.

In essence, Sagarmal Jain's work argues that Jain Sadhana is a profound psychological journey aimed at realizing the inherent perfection of the soul. This perfection is characterized by equanimity (Samattva) and the full manifestation of the soul's infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and power. The path to this realization involves purifying the mind and redirecting its cognitive, emotional, and volitional energies towards their most developed and balanced state.