Kundkund Ki Atmadrushti Ek Chintan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Kundkund ki Atmadrushti Ek Chintan" by Hukumchand P Sangave, based on the provided pages:

This book, "Kundkund ki Atmadrushti Ek Chintan," delves into the profound philosophy of Acharya Kundkund, a prominent Jain monk, with a particular focus on his perspective on the soul (Atma). Acharya Kundkund is considered a pivotal figure in Jainism, revered after Lord Mahavir and Ganadhar Gautam. His teachings are centered around the soul as the focal point of all existence.

The author, Hukumchand P Sangave, highlights that Acharya Kundkund extensively explored the nature of the soul from various angles, adapting his descriptions to the specific perspectives presented. The soul, in its inherent nature, is described as being burdened by karma from time immemorial, a state termed "sansaari atma" (the worldly soul). However, Kundkund emphasizes that this very worldly soul, by shedding the impurities of karma, can attain the pure, unblemished state of the "shuddhatma" (pure soul) or "paramatma" (supreme soul).

Key Concepts and Classifications:

The Soul's Potential: The soul is endowed with infinite qualities that manifest automatically upon the cessation of all karmic influences.
Bhavya and Abhavya Souls: Acharya Kundkund categorizes souls into two types:
- Bhavya (Apt for Liberation): These souls possess the inherent capacity to shed all past karmas and achieve liberation (moksha).
- Abhavya (Not Apt for Liberation): These souls, regardless of time, place, or condition, can never attain liberation or the state of a Siddha (liberated soul).
Samyak Drishti vs. Mithya Drishti (Right View vs. Wrong View): The text links the Bhavyā/Abhavya distinction to right and wrong views. Those who focus solely on external practices like vows, restraint, and austerities, without true faith in liberation or the principles taught by the Tirthankaras, are considered to have a mithya drishti. True liberation necessitates samyak darshan (right faith). Abhavya souls are generally ignorant, while Bhavya souls are knowledgeable and seekers of liberation.
The Cycle of Samsara: The cycle of birth and death (samsara) is attributed to an attachment to worldly pleasures, rather than stable devotion to pure spiritual practices (shuddhopayog). Those who do not adhere to pure spiritual conduct, which is the cause of karmic annihilation, remain trapped in the cycle.
Abhavya Soul's Behavior: An Abhavya soul might listen to Jain teachings but fails to abandon their erroneous beliefs and nature. This is likened to a serpent that drinks milk mixed with poison; it consumes the good but retains the harmful.
Bhavya Soul's Path: In contrast, a Bhavya soul, with right disposition, listens to the teachings and acts accordingly. By eradicating karmas like knowledge-obscuring (jnanaavarana), perception-obscuring (darshanaavarana), deluding (mohaniya), and obstructive (antaraya), they attain the soul's innate infinite knowledge, perception, strength, and bliss, becoming a supreme soul.
The Soul's Essence: The Jain definition of a "jiva" (living being) often includes characteristics like senses, vitality, lifespan, and breath. However, from a higher, nishchaya (essential) perspective, the soul is defined by consciousness and awareness (chetana and upayoga). Liberated souls do not subsist on these physical attributes.
Jiva vs. Atma: While the terms "jiva" and "atma" are often used interchangeably, the text suggests a nuance. "Jiva" is often used to refer to the embodied soul dependent on the four life-sustaining forces, while "atma" is used more in reference to the pure, liberated soul, or the ultimate goal of self-realization. "Atma" represents the highest state of the soul, the ultimate aim of a seeker.
The Soul's Existence: The soul's existence is self-evident. Every being is aware of its own existence, desires happiness, and fears suffering. The use of pronouns like "I" and "mine" signifies the soul's being. The soul is fundamentally conscious and awareness-oriented, distinct from non-living matter (ajiva).
Three Types of Consciousness: Acharya Kundkund identifies three types of consciousness:
- Jnana Chetana: The soul's pure state of knowing and understanding the true nature of reality, including tattvas, substances, etc.
- Karma Chetana: The soul's involvement in the formation of subtle karmic matter (bhava karma) due to its dispositions.
- Karmaphala Chetana: The experience of the fruits of karma, which leads to happiness or suffering. The presence of the soul can be known through this experience.
The Role of Mind and Senses: The senses manifest the soul externally. Mind, operating through the senses, is the instrument of perception and knowledge. The "I am" consciousness arises from these mental and karmic activities.
The Soul's State: The soul, in its pure state, is free from all karmic influences and experiences perfect knowledge (kevaljnana), becoming the supreme soul.
Upayoga (Awareness/Application): The soul's consciousness is its awareness or application (upayoga). This can be in the form of knowledge-awareness (jnana-upayoga) or perception-awareness (darshana-upayoga). While the soul's upayoga is inherently pure, the rise of attachment (moha) makes it impure (ashuddhopayoga). These impure states lead to karmic bondage.
Bondage and Liberation: Souls bound by karma are embodied and worldly. Those free from karmic bondage and having attained their natural purity are liberated souls (siddha).
Classification of Worldly Souls: Worldly souls are further classified into sthavara (immobile, like one-sensed beings) and trasa (mobile, beings with two or more senses). Trasa souls are further divided into four destinies: divine, human, animal, and hellish.
The Soul's Journey: The soul continuously transmigrates, forming karmas for future lives even before leaving the current one. Upon the exhaustion of its lifespan, it moves to another body or destiny, undergoing cycles of birth and death (utpada and vyaya) while the soul-substance itself remains eternal (dhrauvya). The soul's journey through samsara is considered beginningless and endless.
Distinction between Worldly and Liberated Souls: From a substance perspective, there is no difference between worldly and liberated souls. The difference lies only in their states or modifications (paryaya), which can be overcome through personal effort.
The Soul as Knower, Experiencer, and Doer: Each soul is a knower, experiencer, and doer according to its karmic level and stage of development. The soul is described as conscious, non-corporeal, doer, experiencer, of the size of its own body, worldly, liberated, and ascending. These descriptions are presented as refutations of other philosophical schools.
Inseparability of Soul and Qualities: The soul cannot be separated from its qualities, and vice versa. They exist in a natural, inherent relationship.
Types of Knowledge: Knowledge gained through the senses is indirect (paroksha), while knowledge independent of senses is direct (pratyaksha).
The Pure Soul: From an essential viewpoint, the soul is pure, completely free from all other substances, and exists within its own intrinsic nature. In its pure state, it is a knower and seer, free from desires and mental fluctuations.
Samsari vs. Mukta Atma: There is no fundamental difference in the essence or grandeur of knowledge between a worldly soul and a liberated soul. The difference lies in the manifestation of qualities: fully expressed in the liberated soul and partially obscured by karma in the worldly soul.
Relationship with Other Substances: The connection of external substances like matter with the soul is one of association, not identity. They are distinct from the soul, and believing otherwise is a misconception.
Acharya Kundkund's Classifications: Acharya Kundkund's classifications of the soul are relative, serving to illustrate its true nature. These include Bhavya/Abhavya (for liberation), worldly/liberated (for pure/impure states), classification based on ten life-sustaining forces, five sensory classifications, and worldly souls as immobile/mobile.
Three Types of Beings (Bahirātmā, Antarātmā, Paramātmā): He also categorizes beings into external soul (focused on the body), internal soul (focused on the self), and supreme soul. Similarly, there are three types based on pure (shuddhopayoga), impure (ashuddhopayoga), and auspicious (shubhopayoga) consciousness. These classifications, based on vyavahar naya (conventional truth), help in understanding the soul's true nature, which is understood through nishchaya naya (essential truth).
Upaadeya and Heya: The self is the only thing to be pursued (upaadeya), while all else is to be discarded (heya). The author emphasizes that understanding one's own nature is paramount, and concern for external matters is secondary.
The Triad of Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct: Acharya Kundkund posits that the simultaneous attainment of right faith (samyak darshan), right knowledge (samyak jnana), and right conduct (samyak charitra) is the path to liberation.
The Centrality of Self-Knowledge: The primary objective of Acharya Kundkund's writings is to guide the soul towards its true nature. Self-knowledge is considered supreme knowledge. Knowing the single essence of the soul means knowing all aspects of the universe.
Six Substances (Shad-dravya): Acharya Kundkund classifies the six substances. All, except time (kala), are multi-dimensional. The collection of five substances (panchastikaya) forms the entire universe and is also called "Samaya" (essence or truth). Reverence for these leads to self-knowledge.
The Soul as the Ultimate Truth: The soul is the only entity worth knowing. Knowing the soul means knowing the entire universe. The soul is to be pursued, and all else is to be discarded.
Nischaya and Vyavahar Naya: Acharya Kundkund skillfully uses both conventional and essential truths to describe the soul, ultimately declaring the soul as the only thing to be embraced.
The Eternal Nature of Substances: The doctrine of niyama (rule) is accepted: eternal substances are permanent, and the non-existent cannot be produced. The past, present, and future states are knowable by the soul.
Kevali as Knower-Seer: Liberated beings (Kevali) are knowers and seers of their own self. While they are aware of other substances, this is a conventional description; in essence, they are solely knowers of the soul and omniscient.

In essence, the book "Kundkund ki Atmadrushti Ek Chintan" provides a deep exploration of Acharya Kundkund's teachings on the soul, emphasizing its inherent purity, the path to liberation through shedding karma, and the ultimate importance of self-knowledge and self-realization as the central pursuit of life.