Jaina Philosophy And Religion - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of "Jaina Philosophy and Religion" by Muni Shri Nyayavijayaji, based on the provided text:

Overview of the Work:

"Jaina Philosophy and Religion," an English translation of Muni Shri Nyayavijayaji's highly regarded Gujarati work "Jaina Darśana," is presented as an authentic and comprehensive treatise on Jainism. The author, Muni Nyayavijayaji (1890-1970), is lauded for his profound spiritual and philosophical insights, extensive scholarship, and non-sectarian approach. The translation by Nagin J. Shah aims to retain the original meaning while being accessible to English readers. The book is praised for its lucid explanation of Jain concepts, its positive and constructive approach, its ability to synthesize conflicting views, and its deep insight into the heart of religion, seeking to evoke sympathetic responses to humanity's ethical and spiritual aspirations.

Key Themes and Concepts:

The book systematically covers the core tenets of Jaina metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and logic, addressing a wide array of philosophical and religious problems.

Chapter 1: Essentials of Jaina Philosophy

The Nine Reals (Tattvas): The foundational concept of Jainism is the enumeration of nine reals, which are essential for understanding the path to liberation. These are:
- Jiva (Soul): The sentient substance, characterized by consciousness and present in infinite numbers. The soul is distinct from the body and senses, capable of memory, and experiences the fruits of its actions.
- Ajiva (Non-soul): The insentient reality, encompassing five categories:
  - Dharma: Medium of motion.
  - Adharma: Medium of rest.
  - Akasha: Space (infinite and all-pervading).
  - Pudgala: Matter (constituting atoms and aggregates, possessing qualities like touch, taste, smell, and color).
  - Kala: Time (experienced through change, considered a substance).
- Punya: Auspicious karmic matter.
- Papa: Inauspicious karmic matter.
- Asrava: Inflow of karmic matter into the soul due to activities.
- Samvara: Stoppage of the inflow of karmic matter through spiritual control.
- Bandha: Bondage of the soul with karmic matter.
- Nirjara: Partial dissociation of bound karmic matter from the soul through austerity.
- Moksha: Liberation, the total and absolute dissociation of karmic matter from the soul, leading to the soul's pure and pristine state.
Jina and Jaina: "Jina" refers to supreme souls who have conquered attachment and aversion, synonymous with Arhat and Vitaraga. "Jaina" refers to the devotees of the Jina, and "Jaina Dharma" is the religion propounded by them.
Tirthankara: Souls who establish the "tirtha" (the fourfold order of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) after attaining omniscience. They are distinct souls, not incarnations of a single God.
God (Ishvara): In Jainism, God is not a world-creator. God is a liberated soul who has completely removed all karmas and thus manifested infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. Every living being has the potential to become God. There are many Gods, not just one, due to their absolute likeness in pure qualities.
Karma: The Jaina conception of karma is central, explaining individual inequalities and life outcomes. It is a subtle material matter attracted to the soul by its activities, influencing its present and future lives. Karma is classified into eight fundamental types (knowledge-covering, vision-covering, feeling-producing, deluding, longevity-determining, body-making, status-determining, and obstructive), each with auspicious and inauspicious aspects.
Bondage and Liberation: Bondage arises from the inflow of karma due to passions (attachment, aversion, delusion) and activities. Liberation is achieved through the stoppage of karma inflow (samvara) and the dissociation of bound karma (nirjara), culminating in the soul's pure, omniscient, and blissful state.

Chapter 2: Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)

Samyak Jnana (Right Knowledge) and Samyak Charitra (Right Conduct): These are the two essential pillars of the path to liberation. Right knowledge involves understanding the true nature of the soul and the means to spiritual welfare. Right conduct is the practice of refraining from vicious acts and cultivating virtuous qualities, leading to the purification of the soul.
Spiritual Discipline for Mendicants (Sadhu-dharma): Encompasses absolute non-attachment, renunciation of worldly life, and strict observance of the five great vows (non-violence, truthfulness, non-theft, chastity, non-possession), coupled with control over mind, speech, and body.
Spiritual Discipline for Laymen (Grihastha-dharma/Shravaka-dharma): Involves the observance of twelve vows, including five minor vows (anuvratas) which are partial versions of the monks' great vows, and three supporting vows (gunavratas) and four training vows (shikshavratas) that strengthen the minor vows and provide practice for spiritual development.
The Twelve Vows: The book details the specific vows for lay followers, including refraining from violence (with careful consideration of the scale of violence), lying, theft, illicit sexual contact, and limiting possessions, area of activities, and quantity of consumption. It also covers vows related to limited equanimity (samayika), limited scope of activities (deshavakashikavrata), observing fasts like a monk (poshadhavrata), and sharing with guests (atithisamvibhaga-vrata).
Samyaktva (Right Faith): This is the foundational principle, described as a purified inclination or attitude towards reality, achieved through reason and discretion, not blind faith. It leads to right knowledge and right conduct.
Stages of Spiritual Development (Gunasthana): Jainism outlines fourteen stages of spiritual progress, from the initial stage of wrong faith (mithyatva) to the final stage of omniscient liberation (ayogi-kevali). Each stage represents a progressively purer state of the soul, achieved through the gradual removal of karmic coverings.
Leśya (Spiritual-Mental-Colouration): This concept categorizes mental states into six types (black, blue, grey, yellow, lotus-pink, white) based on their purity or impurity, influencing the soul's experience and karma.
Austerity (Tapa): Both external and internal austerities are discussed. Internal austerity, focusing on mental purification and spiritual discipline, is considered superior. Specific forms of internal austerity like atonement, veneration, service, self-study, renunciation, and meditation are detailed.
Dhyana (Meditation): Four types are described: Arta (sorrowful), Raudra (cruel), Dharma (moral), and Shukla (pure). The last two are considered beneficial for spiritual progress.

Chapter 3: Reflections on Some Problems of Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development

Temple of Spiritual Good Open for All: Jainism emphasizes the essential equality of all souls, with perceived differences being adventitious and due to karma. It advocates for a liberal, non-sectarian approach to religion, welcoming all regardless of background, with non-attachment being the key to liberation.
God-Spiritual Teacher—Religion: Jainism defines God as a liberated soul who has achieved perfect purity and omniscience. The spiritual teacher (Guru) is one who embodies these qualities and guides others. Religion (Dharma) is the path of duty, discipline, and good conduct that leads to spiritual development and liberation.
Compassion and Donation: These are seen as foundational to religion, with donation extending beyond material gifts to offering one's skills, knowledge, and service, motivated by universal love and compassion.
Internal Battle: The text highlights the significance of controlling one's own mind and overcoming internal weaknesses and passions, rather than solely blaming external circumstances.
Attachment and Non-Attachment: Attachment is identified as the root of suffering and the primary obstacle to spiritual progress. Non-attachment, achieved through renunciation of desires and cultivating pure mental states, is the path to liberation.
Luminous Faith (Samyaktva): This is the bedrock of Jaina practice, characterized by right inclination, knowledge, and conduct, not blind faith. It involves critical examination and a balanced approach to different philosophical views.
Scriptures (Shastra): While scriptures are valuable guides, true spiritual realization comes from direct experience. Reason and critical inquiry are essential for understanding and applying scriptural teachings correctly.
Cause-Effect Relationship: The text delves into the intricate Jaina understanding of causality, outlining material causes, instrumental causes, and the role of human effort and destiny (karma) in shaping events.
Time (Kala): The nature and functions of time are discussed, including different philosophical interpretations of whether time is an independent substance or merely modes of existing substances.
Determinism (Niyativada): Jainism rejects absolute determinism, emphasizing the interplay between destiny (karma) and human effort (purushartha). While past karma influences present conditions, individual free will and effort play a crucial role in shaping the future.
Pride of Caste and Family: The text criticizes pride based on birth, caste, or family, advocating for true greatness derived from character, virtues, and righteous actions.
Knowledge-Devotion-Action: These three are presented as the integrated path to spiritual liberation, with knowledge forming the basis for devotion, and both guiding right action.
The Straight and Simple Path: This emphasizes the importance of self-restraint, ethical conduct, and cultivating virtuous qualities like compassion, truthfulness, and friendliness, which lead to happiness and spiritual well-being.

Chapter 4: Karma Philosophy (Law of Moral Causation)

The Law of Karma: This chapter elaborates on the Jaina doctrine of karma, emphasizing individual responsibility for actions and their consequences, spanning across lifetimes. It explains how actions create karmic impressions that determine future experiences.
Types of Karma: The eight main types of karma are detailed, along with their sub-types and the specific activities and mental states that lead to their bondage.
Bondage and its Causes: The text explains how karma binds the soul through mental, vocal, and bodily activities, influenced by passions like anger, pride, deceit, and greed.
The Process of Karma: It describes how karma is attracted, bound, transformed, experienced, and eventually dissociated from the soul. The concepts of increase (udvartanā), decrease (apavartanā), premature rise (udīraņā), transformation (saṅkramaṇa), subsidence (upaśama), and their states (bhāva) are elucidated.
Rebirth: The doctrine of rebirth is presented as the logical consequence of karma, explaining the cycle of birth and death and the transmigration of the soul through various life-forms based on its past actions.
Societal Karma: The concept extends beyond individual actions to include collective karma, where societal practices and injustices can lead to collective suffering.

Chapter 5: Jaina Logic

Pramana (Valid Knowledge): The Jaina epistemological framework recognizes two primary means of valid knowledge: perception (pratyakşa) and inference (anumāna).
Perception (Pratyakşa): Discussed in two forms: empirical perception (sāṁvyavahārika pratyakşa), which relies on sense-organs and mind, and transcendental perception (noindriya-pratyakşa), which arises from the soul's inherent spiritual power (avadhi, manahparyaya, kevala).
Memory and Recognition: These are considered forms of indirect knowledge, analyzed in terms of their causes and processes.
Hypothetical Reasoning (Tarka) and Inference (Anumana): Tarka is crucial for establishing invariable concomitance (vyāpti), which forms the basis of inference. Inference is the process of deriving knowledge of the probandum (sādhya) from the probans (hetu) based on this established concomitance.
Verbal Knowledge (Āgama or Śabda): Knowledge derived from trustworthy authorities (āpta), particularly the teachings of the Jinas, is considered valid verbal knowledge.
Syādvāda or Anekāntavāda (Theory of Many-Sidedness): This is a cornerstone of Jaina logic, advocating for viewing reality from multiple standpoints. It emphasizes that seemingly contradictory attributes can coexist in an object when understood from different perspectives. It promotes intellectual tolerance and synthesis of diverse views.
Saptabhangi (Sevenfold Judgement): This system of predication, derived from syādvāda, demonstrates how a thing can be described through seven modes of affirmation, negation, and their combinations, all qualified by "syāt" (from a certain standpoint) to reflect its manifold nature.
Leśyā (Spiritual-Mental-Colouration): This concept explains how mental states, influenced by the soul's proximity to different types of material particles, manifest as different "colors," impacting karma and spiritual progress.
Jaina Conception of Soul: The Jaina view of the soul as a sentient, eternal, and essentially pure substance, distinct from the body and capable of infinite knowledge and bliss, is contrasted with other philosophical systems. The soul is described as having both permanent (substance) and impermanent (modes) aspects.

Overall Significance:

Muni Nyayavijayaji's "Jaina Philosophy and Religion" is presented as a scholarly and insightful exploration of Jainism. It meticulously explains complex Jaina doctrines, ranging from metaphysics and ethics to logic and the law of karma, making them understandable and relatable. The book champions a universal, compassionate, and rational approach to spirituality, emphasizing self-effort, ethical living, and the ultimate goal of liberation from karmic bondage.