Nandan Maniyar

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Nandan Maniyar," from the "Parmarthik Lekhsangraha":

The text, "Nandan Maniyar," within the "Parmarthik Lekhsangraha," narrates a story illustrating the importance of samyak darshan (right perception) and the consequences of mithya darshan (wrong perception) in the pursuit of spiritual progress, particularly through practices like upavasa (fasting).

The story begins in the city of Rajagriha, where a wealthy householder named Nandan Maniyar lived. Lord Mahavirswami was preaching in a garden outside the city, and King Shrenik along with other devotees had gathered. During this time, a celestial being named Durdaranak appeared. He displayed his immense power by creating divine beings and their music and dance, intending to strengthen the faith of those who doubted the fruits of religious practices and to encourage others to achieve similar spiritual powers through their own efforts, and to show reverence to the great soul through whose grace he had attained this power.

After offering his reverence to Lord Mahavirswami, Durdaranak beautified the Lord's body with fragrant sandalwood paste. He then, using his divine power, transformed this paste in the assembly into something resembling excreta and pus, before returning to his abode. This act, though seemingly strange, was aimed at further solidifying the faith of the assembly. Lord Gautamswami, observing this, inquired of Lord Mahavirswami the reason for the celestial being's immense powers. Lord Mahavirswami explained that Durdaranak was once Nandan Maniyar, a wealthy householder in Rajagriha.

Nandan Maniyar had initially attained samyak darshan after hearing Lord Mahavirswami's sermon and had embraced suitable vows for a householder. However, over time, he began to associate with individuals who had mithya darshan and were engrossed in sensual pleasures. Crucially, he lost the company of monks and self-realized gurus who would have nurtured and strengthened his right perception. As a result, his samyak darshan weakened, and mithya darshan grew.

The narrative then focuses on Nandan Maniyar's practice of upavasa. The text elaborates on the true meaning of upavasa. It's not merely abstaining from food and water, which is the external form. The inner essence of upavasa is to remain near the soul (upas) and to nourish and purify the soul (paushadh). Just as unintended grass grows alongside grain when sowing for grain, punya karma (meritorious deeds) naturally arises during the pursuit of self-purification, leading to favorable circumstances. However, the primary objective must remain self-purification.

Nandan Maniyar, in his weakened state of mithya darshan, performed three-day fasts, weakening his body but not his desires like anger and lust. His fasting was like the husk of rice without the grain – externally appearing religious but lacking the inner spiritual essence. The text emphasizes that fasting without remaining near the soul is called langhan (abstinence) and is less beneficial. It likens the body to an anthill and desires like anger, lust, etc., to snakes within it. Simply weakening the body doesn't defeat these inner enemies; only the light of self-knowledge can overcome them. Weakening the body through fasting, without addressing inner passions, is counterproductive.

The text further explains that external fasting is meant to remove obstacles in internal activities and to save time that would otherwise be spent on eating and drinking. This saved time can be utilized for meditation and spiritual contemplation. However, this benefit is primarily for those whose inner vision is open and who sincerely desire to be near the soul. Otherwise, the saved time might be wasted on idle talk.

The story highlights that the true benefit of upavasa comes when it is practiced with samyak darshan. While even a day of such practice can lead to progress, fasting done with ignorance, solely to weaken the body without inner realization, is not appropriate. The text clarifies that it doesn't negate the value of external fasting but emphasizes that it should be accompanied by samyak darshan.

Nandan Maniyar, due to his mithya darshan, did not understand the true essence of his fasts. He lacked inner peace and was inclined towards material aspirations, leading him to a state of mithya darshan. His external austerities were not commendable. His previously understood spiritual understanding had been forgotten due to his association with those of wrong perception. He was merely performing religious acts out of habit, believing "I should do this."

The absence of true spiritual guides and the lack of deep inner emotional engagement prevented the manifestation of truth within him. Actions performed without samyak darshan lead to bondage, driven by some attachment or desire. In adverse situations, without samyak darshan, one cannot maintain equanimity, leading to intense negative thoughts. A samyak drashti individual can transform negative experiences, find happiness even in sorrow, and endure the unfolding of past karma with equanimity. Because Nandan Maniyar had lost his samyak darshan and embraced mithya darshan, he lost his self-awareness in times of difficulty.

During a summer night, Nandan Maniyar felt intense thirst. This led to various thoughts. With his diminished self-awareness and increasing art dhyan (calamitous meditation) due to thirst, he thought about those who build wells, step-wells, and ponds, and how religious teachers consider this excellent merit. He then resolved to build a beautiful step-well himself, expecting to accumulate merit.

The text distinguishes between those who perform acts of public welfare out of compassion before facing personal hardship and those who do so after experiencing hardship themselves. Nandan Maniyar's current suffering (thirst) reminded him of the suffering of many creatures in the summer and the need to help them. However, his thoughts of building a step-well were tinged with a desire for reward and the hope of future happiness, making it a transactional act that would create attachments rather than lead to liberation.

Furthermore, building wells, while benefiting many, also leads to the destruction of fish and small creatures. Birds and fishermen also prey on the beings within them. Therefore, while the act benefits some, it harms others. The desire for merit and the pride associated with it can also lead to sin. Thus, the act, while potentially good for someone at that stage of development, was not entirely blameless.

The text quotes learned saints who advise performing acts of public welfare without attachment, without expecting rewards, and without seeking worldly praise. Such actions, performed without any desire for honor or reward, will destroy the seeds of bondage. However, acting with any hope, desire, pride, or ignorance will certainly lead to bondage, either through merit (good deeds) or sin (bad deeds).

The next morning, Nandan Maniyar broke his fast and approached King Shrenik to request land for building a large step-well. The King granted him land at the foothills of Vaibhavgiri mountain. Nandan Maniyar built a magnificent step-well, surrounded by gardens, opened a free kitchen (annachhatra), a rest house (dharmashala), and a temple (devkul).

People benefited from the step-well, bathing and washing clothes, and travelers found rest. Nandan Maniyar would visit the place and feel happy hearing people praise the builder. However, true detachment (nishpakpana) does not come without samyak darshan. The desire for reward for one's actions does not subside, and one continues to experience praise, blame, sorrow, and joy. Nandan Maniyar felt happy with praise but also sorrowful when a beggar did not receive the desired donation.

He frequently associated with people who lacked self-awareness. True spiritual masters rarely visited, and when they did, Nandan Maniyar, engrossed in managing his properties, didn't have the desire or time to recognize them, serve them, or listen to their sermons. This prolonged association with the unvirtuous led to the complete destruction of his samyak darshan. Mithya darshan, self-praise, attachment to desires, false pride in duty, and joy/sorrow from desired/undesired things increased. Under the strong influence of past karma, he developed severe bodily diseases. Both his external illness and internal mithya darshan increased his art dhyan.

He became intensely attached to the step-well he had built, lamenting that he would have to leave behind his beloved step-well, gardens, temple, house, wealth, and property. He pleaded with physicians to save him, offering any amount of wealth, but to no avail. The text contrasts this with a samyak drashti individual, who, through contemplation, remains aware that all things other than the soul are to be relinquished. They have shed attachment and possessiveness towards worldly objects. For them, relinquishing worldly possessions is as easy and desirable as discarding excreta, with their sole focus being the soul. They have conquered enemies like attachment, ignorance, pride, desire, and aversion, and face their final moments without impediment.

The text states that Nandan Maniyar, after leaving his body, died with art dhyan due to his attachment to the step-well and was reborn as a frog in that very step-well. The quality of one's mind and feelings at the time of death determines one's next birth. Attachment to material possessions can lead to rebirth in those very places. Attachment to treasures can result in rebirth as snakes or rats guarding them.

The text strongly advises keeping away from delusion-inducing influences at the time of death and to keep the company of self-realized masters who can help reduce attachment and possessiveness. A samyak drashti individual, being self-aware, might not need external help, but even a slightly diminished awareness can be bolstered by the presence of a spiritual master. Those who are constantly in the company of virtuous beings and possess samyak drashti experience immense joy and bliss.

Lord Mahavirswami told Gautamswami that Nandan Maniyar, now as a frog, heard from people going to fill water at the step-well that Lord Mahavirswami had arrived. Overjoyed, he felt an intense desire to see his spiritual guide and reform his life. With this strong yearning, he left the step-well. On the way, he was crushed and killed by the hooves of King Shrenik's horse, as he was going to pay his respects. His desires and intentions remained in his mind. He had bound his heart not to his physical body but to his soul.

This aspiration to reach the compassionate Lord and behold his spiritual guru led the frog to die with this pure intention. His soul united with Lord Mahavirswami's consciousness. Upon dying with the wish to go to his spiritual guide, the frog was reborn as a highly respected celestial being in the Saudharma heaven. Immediately upon rebirth, he wondered what good deeds had led to this divine power. Through his clairvoyant knowledge (avadhi gyan), he understood his entire life story. Abandoning all other pursuits, he rushed to see Lord Mahavirswami, performed his worship with various displays and prostrations, and then returned to his celestial abode.

Lord Mahavirswami concluded by saying that the story of the celestial being Durdaranak offers much for the assembly to understand. He has personally experienced the consequences of bad company (kusangati) and the fruits of good company (susangati). Souls often have such experiences in multiple lifetimes. However, those who recognize their mistakes, correct them, remain in good company, awaken their inner sight, and attain ultimate realization can cross the formidable ocean of existence and attain eternal peace by ending the cycle of birth and death.