Leshya Vichar - Book Summary | JainGPT

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text "Leshya Vichar" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, focusing on the content of the given pages:

The text, "Leshya Vichar" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, from the "Darshan aur Chintan" series, delves into the concept of leshyas within Jainism and its historical context, particularly in relation to other ancient Indian philosophical traditions.

Key Points from the Text:

Tapas (Asceticism) as a Means of Liberation: The author begins by challenging the common perception that only the Nirgrantha (Jain) tradition emphasizes tapas (asceticism) as a means of nirjara (shedding karmas and achieving liberation). Sanghavi points out that the Sāṅkhya-Yoga tradition also places significant importance on tapas. Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, includes tapas as a form of kriya-yoga (action yoga), giving it the primary position among other means. Vyasa's commentary on this verse highlights that without tapas, a yogi cannot break free from the intricate web of past karmic impressions (vasanas). This shared emphasis on tapas as a means to dissolve past karmas reveals the ancient core belief of the Śramaṇa (ascetic) traditions, including Jainism and Yoga.
The Śramaṇa Tradition and Asceticism: The text asserts that, with the exception of the Buddha, all Śramaṇa traditions have accepted the great significance of tapas. This is presented as the very reason why these traditions are called "Śramaṇa," as the root meaning of Śramaṇa is "one who performs tapas." The author agrees with German scholar Winternitz's view that Śramanic literature predates Vedic literature, with its various forms preserved in the Mahabharata, Jain Agamas, and Buddhist Pitakas. Sanghavi suggests that the Sāṅkhya-Yoga tradition, in its broad and original sense, encompasses all Śramaṇa branches. The influence of Śramaṇa tapas on Indian life is so pervasive that it can be observed across different regions, castes, and sects. This explains why even the Buddha, while refuting certain extreme forms of tapas, retained the term itself, merely redefining its meaning according to his own doctrine.
The Concept of Varna (Caste) and its Transformation: The text then shifts to the concept of varna (social classification). It explains how the Vedic tradition gradually solidified the notion of four varnas based on birth. When this system became so rigid that individuals with inherent qualifications could not participate in activities or professions reserved for other varnas, the Śramaṇa movement vigorously advocated for a system of four varnas based on merit and deeds (guna-karma) rather than birth. Both the Buddha and Mahavira are cited as stating that no one is a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra by birth. They emphasized that these classifications should be based on one's actions.
Classification of Humanity Based on Actions: The Origin of Leshyas: The proponents of the Śramaṇa tradition, while establishing a guna-karma based varna system, did not stop there. They recognized that even within good and bad actions, there are varying degrees of intensity. This led to the necessity of further classifying humanity according to these gradations of actions. The text mentions that this classification is discussed in Buddhist texts in connection with two figures: Makkhali Gosala (an Ājīvika) and Puraṇa Kassapa.
- The Dīgha Nikāya mentions Makkhali Gosala's classification of six "noble births" (abhijatis) based on actions.
- The Aṅguttara Nikāya refers to Puraṇa Kassapa's doctrine of six "noble births" similarly based on actions.
- These six categories are: Krishna (black), Nīla (blue), Lohita (red), Haridra (yellow), Shukla (white), and Paramashukla (supreme white). This classification encompasses all of humanity based on the intensity of their good or bad deeds.
Jainism's Perspective on Leshyas: While Buddhist texts refer to these six classifications in the context of Ājīvika and Puraṇa Kassapa traditions, they do not mention the Nirgrantha (Jain) perspective on this matter. However, the author notes that the oldest Jain texts preserve the Nirgrantha view. The Jain tradition calls these six classifications leshyas. They are Krishna, Nīla, Kāpota (pigeon-colored), Tejas (fiery), Padma (lotus-colored), and Shukla (white). Jainism applies this classification not just to humanity but to all sentient beings, based on their actions. The word leshya itself is defined as thought, disposition, or mental state. Krishna leshya refers to evil or harmful thoughts, while Shukla leshya refers to good or auspicious thoughts. The intermediate leshyas represent varying mixtures of inauspiciousness and auspiciousness in thought.
Buddha's Interpretation and the Interrelation of Leshyas: The text recounts that the Buddha, after hearing the description of the six classifications from Ananda, stated that he accepted the idea of six classifications but had a different interpretation. He divided humanity into two broad categories: Krishna (meaning low, poor, unfortunate) and Shukla (meaning high, wealthy, fortunate). He further subdivided each of these into three categories based on actions. The Buddha also noted that both black-skinned and white-skinned individuals could possess good or bad qualities. He defined the thoroughly cruel as Krishna, the virtuous as Shukla, and those beyond both as Ashukla-Akṛṣṇa. While the Buddha accepted six types of classifications based on actions, his interpretation differed from the older traditions, including the Yoga tradition.
Jainism's Classification and Potential Influences: Jain texts indeed contain the six leshyas described earlier, which closely resemble the doctrines of the Ājīvakas and Puraṇa Kassapa. However, Jain texts also present classifications similar to those of the Buddha and the Yoga tradition.
The Antiquity of Leshyas in Jainism and Theories of Origin: The author concludes by considering the antiquity of the leshya doctrine within the Nirgrantha tradition. While it's difficult to definitively prove its antiquity solely based on existing evidence, the detailed descriptions of dravya (material) and bhava (mental/spiritual) leshyas in Jain texts suggest that the Nirgrantha tradition did indeed have its own form of six-fold classification based on actions, even if it wasn't explicitly mentioned in Buddhist texts. It's possible that the connection between the older dravya-leshya and the later concept of bhava-leshya (mental leshya) was established later in Jainism, similar to how the connection between dravya-karma and bhava-karma was made. Alternatively, it's also conceivable that Mahavira or other Jains adopted the six-fold classification from older Śramaṇa traditions like the Ājīvikas and Puraṇa Kassapa, reinterpreting and renaming it as leshyas with some modifications in meaning and terminology.

In essence, "Leshya Vichar" explores the concept of leshyas as a framework for understanding the moral and spiritual states of beings based on their actions, tracing its roots and potential influences across different ancient Indian philosophical and religious traditions, with a particular focus on its development and significance within Jainism.