Kausagga

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Kausagga" by Ramanlal C Shah, based on the provided document:

The book "Kausagga" delves deeply into the Jain practice of Kāyotsarga, a crucial element within the Jain spiritual discipline.

Understanding Kāyotsarga:

• Origin and Meaning: The term Kāyotsarga originates from Sanskrit, meaning "abandonment of the body" or "giving up the body." It refers to relinquishing the body's movements and activities, specifically detaching oneself from attachment and ego towards the physical form. Another related term, Utsarga, signifies "to leave behind" or "to renounce."
• Definition: Scholars define Kāyotsarga as either the renunciation of attachment to the body or the cessation of attachment to the body for a limited duration.
• The Practice: In Kāyotsarga, the practitioner holds the body still for a fixed or variable period, removing attachment to it. While in this state, they contemplate the virtues of the Jina (Jineshvar Bhagwan), such as forgiveness, and become absorbed in their true self.

Kāyotsarga as a Tap (Austerity):

• Internal vs. External: Lord Mahavira described various types of austerities. There are six types of external austerities (Anashan, Uno-dari, Vritt-samkshep, Ras-tyaga, Kayaklesh, and Sanklinata) and six types of internal austerities.
• The Six Internal Austerities: These are:
  1. Prayashchitta (Penance)
  2. Vinaya (Humility/Respect)
  3. Vaiyavachhya (Service)
  4. Swadhyaya (Self-study/Study of scriptures)
  5. Dhyana (Meditation)
  6. Kāyotsarga
• Supreme Internal Austerity: Internal austerities are considered superior to external ones. Among the internal austerities, Kāyotsarga is placed at the highest and final position. Austerities lead to the shedding of karmas. Therefore, Kāyotsarga is considered the most significant type of austerity for karma-nirjara (shedding of karmas).

Kāyotsarga's Superiority to Dhyana (Meditation):

• Deeper Control: Kāyotsarga is considered superior to Dhyana because while Dhyana involves control over the mind and speech, Kāyotsarga requires complete control over the body in addition to the mind and speech.
• Threefold Control:
  • Mauna (Silence): Control over speech.
  • Dhyana (Meditation): Control over speech and mind.
  • Kāyotsarga: Stillness of speech, mind, and body.
• Uninterrupted Path to Kevalajnana: While meditation is generally expected in Kāyotsarga, Kāyotsarga-Dhyana (meditation within Kāyotsarga) is considered more profound. This is because Kevalajnana (omniscience) is not attained without Kāyotsarga-Dhyana. Tirthankaras attain Kevalajnana and Nirvana in the Kāyotsarga posture, which is why these postures are also called "Jinmudra" (Posture of the Victorious).

The Integration of Body, Breath, Speech, and Mind:

• The text highlights the inherent restlessness of the body, breath, speech, and mind.
• Types of Stillness:
  • Kayik Dhyana: Stillness of the body.
  • Anapana Dhyana: Slowing or stabilizing of breath.
  • Vachik Dhyana: Stillness of speech.
  • Manasik Dhyana: Stillness of the mind.
• Ultimate Synthesis: The combination of all four leads to excellent Kāyotsarga-Dhyana.

Kāyotsarga as a Daily Obligation:

• Kāyotsarga is one of the six essential daily religious practices (Aavashyak), along with Samayika, Chaubbistha (Praise of the 24 Tirthankaras), Guruvandan, Pratikraman, and Pacchakkhan (Vow of Abstinence).
• These essential practices should be performed at least twice daily. Kāyotsarga is listed as the fifth essential practice and is said to lead to the fifth state, Moksha (liberation).

Mantras and Sutras in Kāyotsarga:

• Navkar Mantra: Often, the Navkar Mantra (which focuses on the five supreme beings: Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sadhu) is contemplated during Kāyotsarga. A Kāyotsarga for the Navkar Mantra is typically for eight breaths.
• Logassa Sutra: The Logassa Sutra, believed to be composed by Ganadhar (chief disciples of Tirthankaras), is also widely used. It involves contemplating the 24 Tirthankaras and praying for the attainment of the Siddha state. A Kāyotsarga for Logassa is for twenty-five breaths.
• Kundalini Awakening: The Logassa Sutra is considered mantra-infused and connected to yogic practices. The repetition of "Jin" after every seventh Tirthankara in the Logassa Sutra (at the 7th, 14th, and 21st) signifies cycles. The text suggests that the Logassa Kāyotsarga aims to awaken the Kundalini energy, which is associated with 3.5 cycles in the Muladhara chakra. This is achieved by coordinating breath with each word of the Logassa Sutra.

Types and Purposes of Kāyotsarga:

• Pratikraman and Kāyotsarga: The duration of Kāyotsarga is linked to the importance of Pratikraman. Daily Pratikraman involves four Logassa Kāyotsargas, fortnightly twelve, quarterly twenty, and annual Pratikraman includes forty Logassa Kāyotsargas and one Navkar Kāyotsarga, totaling 1008 breaths.
• Assisting Those Unable to Practice Breath Control: Those unable to practice breath control with mantras or sutras can perform Kāyotsarga through vocal or mental chanting, though the results are considered lesser.
• Various Objectives: Kāyotsarga is performed for numerous reasons, including:
  • To remove obstacles in auspicious activities.
  • To appease anger, pride, deceit, and greed.
  • For the purification of faults.
  • For the worship of deities (Shrutadevata, Kshetravdevata, etc.).
  • As penance.
  • To prevent hiccups, bad omens, etc.
  • For the worship of Jina images.
  • For contemplation of austerities.
  • For the worship of specific mantras and doctrines (Navpad, Vees Sthanak, Surimantra).
  • For pilgrimages.
  • To nullify bad dreams.
  • During consecration ceremonies.
  • During initiation, installation, or other significant events.
  • During the passing of monks and nuns.
  • For purification, atonement, and becoming free from hidden impurities (Nihshalyam).
  • To shed sins.
  • For the attainment of liberation.
• Universality: It is stated that no religious act in Jainism is complete without Kāyotsarga.

The Twelve Reasons for Kāyotsarga:

The text elaborates on twelve specific reasons for performing Kāyotsarga, categorized as follows:

• Four reasons related to "Tassa Uttarikaran":
  1. For confessing past sins.
  2. For penance of sins.
  3. For inner purification.
  4. For becoming free from hidden impurities.
• Five reasons related to "Saddhaya, Medhaya...":
  1. For increasing faith.
  2. For purifying intellect.
  3. For mental equanimity.
  4. For increasing concentration.
  5. For reflection/contemplation.
• Three reasons related to "Vaiyavachchagarana":
  1. For service to the monastic order.
  2. To pacify diseases and afflictions.
  3. For the well-being of those with right faith.
  4. For the worship of deities.

The Essence of True Kāyotsarga:

• Renunciation of Bodily Attachment: The emphasis is on abandoning attachment to the body. Simply keeping the body still without genuine detachment makes the Kāyotsarga superficial.
• Inner Transformation: True Kāyotsarga requires overcoming attachment to the body, which manifests as beautifying and adorning it. The first sign of true Kāyotsarga is the detachment from the body.
• From External to Internal: Reducing attachment to the body allows one to turn inward from being outwardly focused. Kāyotsarga is a great tool for experiencing the difference between the body and the soul and shedding the illusion of the body.

Qualities of Stable Kāyotsarga:

• Immobility: The body should be as unmoving as a mountain.
• Equanimity in Trials: When bodily attachment lessens, a person in Kāyotsarga can remain still even when bitten by insects. Great souls remain undisturbed in their Kāyotsarga-Dhyana even during severe afflictions. They experience no pleasure from anointing with sandalwood and no anger or distress from being beaten or cut.
• Endurance: The Aavashyak Nirukti states that Kāyotsarga is pure when one endures afflictions from humans, animals, or deities with equanimity.

Types of Kāyotsarga:

• Dravya Kāyotsarga (Material Kāyotsarga): Involves holding the body still in the Jinmudra, removing bodily restlessness and attachment.
• Bhava Kāyotsarga (Mental Kāyotsarga): When the practitioner, while in Dravya Kāyotsarga, engages in virtuous contemplation and meditative absorption, it becomes Bhava Kāyotsarga. This involves renouncing worldly desires, negative emotions, anger, and the formation of inauspicious karma.

Postures of Kāyotsarga:

• Three Main Postures:
  1. Uthith (Standing): Considered the best. Standing straight with feet together, a four-finger gap between the heels and toes, arms hanging straight at the sides, and the gaze fixed straight ahead or at the tip of the nose. Similar to an "Attention Position."
  2. Aasit (Sitting): Sitting in Padmasana or Sukhasana with a straight spine, hands resting on the knees with open palms (or hands placed one above the other near the navel).
  3. Shayit (Lying down): Lying down in Shavasana, with limbs relaxed and still, and the gaze fixed.
• Further Classification (Body Position & Mental State):
  • Uthith-Uthith: Standing with a vigilant and pure mind engaged in auspicious meditation.
  • Uthith-Nivisht: Standing, but with the mind engaged in worldly or inauspicious thoughts.
  • Upavisht-Uthith: Sitting due to physical weakness but with a vigilant and auspicious mind.
  • Upavisht-Nivisht: Sitting due to laziness or sloth, with the mind engaged in inauspicious thoughts.
• Bhadrahubahu's Nine Types: Bhadrahubahu Swami further categorized Kāyotsarga into nine types based on bodily position and mental state (three for standing, three for sitting, and three for lying down).

Kāyotsarga Based on Purpose:

• Cheshta Kāyotsarga (Activity Kāyotsarga): Performed to purify faults incurred during daily activities like eating, sleeping, and hygiene. It's performed at the end of the day/night or at intervals like fortnightly, quarterly, or annually, with a prescribed number of breaths.
• Abhibhava Kāyotsarga (Overcoming Kāyotsarga): Performed for self-reflection, developing spiritual strength, and overcoming afflictions or challenges. It is practiced in secluded places. It can also be performed during sudden crises like fires, earthquakes, famines, or persecution, where the practitioner remains steadfast. Great souls like Gajsukumar and Damdant Rajarshi are examples of those who remained undisturbed during such times, even ready to sacrifice their lives.
  • Duration: This can range from a Muhurta (a short period) to a full year, depending on strength and circumstances. Bahubali is cited as an example of performing a year-long Kāyotsarga.

Benefits and Significance of Kāyotsarga:

• Purification of Sins: According to the Uttaradhyayan Sutra, Kāyotsarga purifies sins incurred in the past and present. It lightens the burden of karma, just as a laborer feels lighter after removing a load.
• Immeasurable Karmic Merit: Jain belief states that the breaths taken during Kāyotsarga can bind lifespan for celestial beings. A single breath can lead to the accumulation of life-span equivalent to 2,45,408 Palyopamas of a celestial lifespan. A Logassa Kāyotsarga of 25 breaths can accumulate 61,35,210 Palyopamas of lifespan.
• Spiritual Growth: It helps in shedding karmas, developing inner strength, and purifying the soul. It removes faults and enhances virtues.
• Analogy of Wound Healing: The text compares Kāyotsarga to the treatment of a wound, stating that it purifies the soul by eradicating negative tendencies and impurities, much like applying medicine to a wound.
• Intensified Contemplation: The combination of bodily stillness and mental concentration in Kāyotsarga makes contemplation more powerful and fruitful. The example of Prasannachandra Rajarshi demonstrates how Kāyotsarga-Dhyana facilitated a profound spiritual transformation from a near-hellish state to omniscience.

Distinction from Kaya Gupthi (Control of Body):

• While Kāyotsarga always involves Kaya Gupthi (control of the body), Kaya Gupthi does not always imply Kāyotsarga. Kaya Gupthi is a broader term for body control, which can include the complete cessation of bodily movement or controlled movements.

Kāyotsarga and Kāyaklesha (Bodily Austerity):

• Kāyaklesha is an external austerity where the practitioner intentionally inflicts hardship on the body to shed attachment and promote spiritual influence.
• While Dravya Kāyotsarga (physical stillness) is a form of Kāyaklesha, not all Kāyaklesha practices are Kāyotsarga.

Other Aspects:

• Assisting Others: Examples of Manoramā performing Kāyotsarga for her husband and the entire Sangha performing it to send Sadhviji to Simandhar Swami illustrate how others can be helped within the framework of karma.
• Authenticity: Kāyotsarga should be performed according to one's capacity and not for show. Performing it insincerely to impress others is considered hypocrisy.
• Ideal Environment: A pure, undisturbed location free from living beings is ideal for Kāyotsarga. Facing East or North in a secluded spot is recommended.
• Avoiding Faults (Atichara): The text lists 16 types of faults (Atichara) to be avoided during Kāyotsarga, such as standing like a tired horse, leaning against a wall, looking around like a crow, or swaying like a vine.
• Physical and Mental Benefits: Kāyotsarga is described as a spiritual yogic practice that also yields physical benefits like improved blood circulation and stress relief, potentially acting as an effective treatment for certain physical and mental ailments.

In conclusion, "Kausagga" emphasizes that Kāyotsarga is a profound and multifaceted spiritual practice in Jainism, integral to liberation. It requires not just physical stillness but a deep detachment from the body, coupled with focused meditation, leading to significant karmic purification and spiritual advancement. The text stresses its importance, even beyond other forms of austerity and meditation, highlighting its role in the path to omniscience and ultimate salvation.