Kayotsarga Kaya Se Asangta

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Kayotsarga Kaya se Asangta" by Kanhaiyalal Lodha, in English:

This text delves into the profound concept of Kayotsarga, which translates to detachment from the body or non-attachment to the physical form. The author, Kanhaiyalal Lodha, explains that Kayotsarga is a crucial practice within Jainism, serving as the fifth of the six essential daily duties (Sadaavashyak).

The Purpose and Meaning of Kayotsarga:

• Purification of Spiritual Defects: Kayotsarga is primarily prescribed as a means to purify "aticharas," which are described as offenses or defects that harm the soul's inherent qualities of knowledge (gyan), perception (darshan), and conduct (charitra). These defects arise from worldly attachments, infatuations, and lack of self-control.
• "Wound Healing" for the Soul: The text quotes the Anuyogdwar Sutra, which likens Kayotsarga to "wound healing." The soul sustains "wounds" due to desires, attachments, and impurities. Kayotsarga acts as the medicine to heal these spiritual wounds.
• Experiencing the Transcendent State: At its core, Kayotsarga means to disengage oneself from the body, to understand oneself as separate from the physical form, and to achieve a state of being beyond the body (dehateet).

The Ritual and its Components:

The practice of Kayotsarga is intimately linked with Pratikraman, the act of repentance and confession.

1. Pratikraman (Fourth Essential Duty): Before performing Kayotsarga, one engages in Pratikraman to acknowledge and confess the transgressions that have weakened the soul's spiritual qualities. This is a necessary prelude to the purification process.
2. The Vow of Kayotsarga: The text highlights the vow taken during Kayotsarga, which states: "O Bhagavan! I perform Kayotsarga for the purification of offenses in knowledge, perception, conduct, and asceticism." This emphasizes the goal of becoming free from defects and faults.
3. Samayika (Equanimity) and the Rejection of Savadya Yoga: The practice involves reciting specific mantras like "Karemi Bhante" and "Ichchhami Thami Kaussaggam." The "Karemi Bhante" mantra signifies the acceptance of equanimity (Samayika) by renouncing "Savadya Yoga" – activities driven by ego, attachment, and the intention to cause harm.
   • The essence of "Karemi Bhante" is a commitment to not engage in sinful activities through mind, speech, or body, nor to encourage them in others. It's an act of repentance and a declaration of detachment from sinful deeds.
4. The Kayotsarga Mantra: The mantra for Kayotsarga itself is quoted: "Tassa Uttarikaranen, Payashchittkaranen, Vishodhikaranen, Visallikaranen, Papanam Karmāṇāṁ Nidghātanāthāye Ṭhāmi Kāuṣsargam... Tāvakāryaṁ Ṭhāṇena Moṇena Jhāṇena Āppāṇaṁ Vośirāmi."
   • This mantra expresses the intention to perform Kayotsarga for the excellence of the soul, atonement for faults, special purification, removal of inner impurities (shalya), and complete destruction of karmic actions.
   • During this practice, one remains motionless in body, silent in speech, and absorbed in meditation.
   • The phrase "Āppāṇaṁ Vośirāmi" is clarified not as self-immolation, but as the renunciation of the sense of ownership and identification with the body. It's about shedding the "mine-ness" (mamata) and the ego (ahamta) associated with the body.

The Nature of the Body and the Soul:

• The Body (Kaya) and its Relation to the Senses and the World: The text explains that the body, senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch), mind, and intellect are all interconnected and are ultimately manifestations of pudgala (matter). They are impermanent, perishable, and constantly changing.
• The Soul (Ātmā) as Distinct: In contrast, the soul, residing within the body, is the knower of this impermanence. It is unchangeable, indestructible, permanent, and eternal.
• The Illusion of Unity: The deep connection with the body leads to a false sense of unity. Identifying "my body," "my senses" creates a sense of duality (bhed bhav) and mistaken identity (abhed bhav). This attachment to the body inherently links one to the cycle of the world, its possessions, and its entanglements.
• Attachment Breeds Bondage: The fundamental principle is that attachment leads to bondage. Since the body is part of the material world, any attachment to it creates a chain of attachments: body to senses, senses to their objects, objects to possessions, and possessions to the world.

Achieving Liberation through Kayotsarga:

• Breaking the Cycle of Attachment: To be free from bondage, one must become free from these relationships and attachments, starting with the severing of the connection with the body. This is the essence of Kayotsarga.
• Impact on Senses and Desires: By detaching from the body, one also detaches from the senses and their objects, which in turn reduces attachment to desires and passions (kashayas).
• Cessation of Karmic Action: When attachment to desires ends, the sense of doership (kartrutva) and enjoyership (bhoktrutva) ceases. This halts the cycle of karmic accumulation and weakens the influence of past karma.
• Renunciation of the World and Karma: Ultimately, Kayotsarga leads to the renunciation of the body, the world, passions, and karmic actions. It liberates one from their bonds.
• The Path to Nirvana: The text concludes by emphasizing that true liberation (Nirvana) and freedom from all suffering – birth, death, disease, sorrow, deprivation, stress, inferiority complexes, and dualities – are only possible through Kayotsarga. Without this detachment from the body, efforts to overcome worldly suffering are futile. Kayotsarga is the state achieved when all strenuous efforts and worldly activities cease, leading to the ultimate cessation of all troubles and attainment of salvation.