Niyam Sara

Here's a comprehensive summary of "Niyamasara" by Acharya Kundakunda, based on the provided text, focusing on its core teachings and structure:

Niyamasara: The Essence of Soul-Adoration

Niyamasara, a profound work by the revered Jain monk Acharya Kundakunda, is considered a jewel in Jain spiritual literature. The title itself, "Niyamasara," signifies the "essence of the rules or discipline," pointing towards the core practices for achieving liberation. The text, translated and annotated by Vijay K. Jain, serves as a guide for ascetics and lay followers alike in understanding and practicing the path to spiritual excellence.

Core Teachings and Structure:

The Niyamasara is structured into twelve chapters, each delving into specific aspects of Jain philosophy and practice, ultimately leading towards the ultimate goal of liberation (moksha or nirvana). The central theme revolves around the "Three Jewels" (Ratnatraya) of Jainism:

1. Right Faith (Samyagdarshana): This involves unwavering belief in the principles of Jainism – the sect-founder (Āpta), the Scripture (Agama), and the substances of Reality (Tattva). It is about discerning the true nature of reality and rejecting falsehood, doubt, and delusion. The text emphasizes the importance of recognizing the Āpta (Tirthankaras) as free from all eighteen imperfections and possessing omniscience and other supreme qualities.

2. Right Knowledge (Samyagjnana): This refers to accurate and pure knowledge of the soul and the universe, free from doubt, delusion, and misapprehension. The Niyamasara elaborates on the various kinds of knowledge (mati, śruta, avadhi, manahparyaya, kevala) and their pure and impure forms, highlighting that true knowledge stems from the soul itself and is not dependent on external senses.

3. Right Conduct (Samyakcaritra): This is the practical manifestation of right faith and right knowledge in one's life. The text explains this in two ways:

   • Empirical Right Conduct (Vyavahara Charitra): This includes the five great vows (vratas) of non-injury (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (acaurya), chastity (brahmacarya), and non-possession (aparigraha). It also details the five careful regulations (samitis) for walking, speaking, eating, lifting/laying down, and disposing of excreta, and the three controls (guptis) over mind, speech, and body. These are presented as the means for householders and ascetics to manage their worldly interactions while progressing spiritually.
   • Real Right Conduct (Niscaya Charitra): This transcends the empirical observances and focuses on the inner realization of the soul's pure nature. It involves meditating on the soul as being free from all karmic influences, bodily activities, passions, and worldly dispositions. This inner conduct is characterized by equanimity, self-absorption, and the absence of any sense of 'mine' or 'I'.

Key Concepts Explained:

• The Soul (Jiva): The soul is defined as being of the nature of pure consciousness (chetana) and cognition (upayoga). It is distinct from all non-soul substances and is inherently pure, eternal, and self-dependent. The text contrasts the transmigrating soul (samsari jiva) with the liberated soul (siddha), emphasizing that from the ultimate transcendental perspective, both are essentially the same pure soul, with the difference lying in their experiential state due to karmic presence or absence.

• Non-Soul Substances (Ajiva): The book systematically explains the five non-soul substances: matter (pudgala), medium of motion (dharma), medium of rest (adharma), space (ākāśa), and time (kāla). It details their characteristics, classifications (atoms vs. molecules, natural vs. unnatural modes), and their spatial extent.

• Pure Thought-Activity (Shuddha Bhava): This chapter focuses on the pure, unadulterated state of the soul, free from all impurities arising from karmic bondage. It elaborates on the soul's intrinsic nature as being free from worldly states of existence, passions, desires, and bodily attributes. The soul is described as being unique, independent, and characterized by consciousness.

• Repentance, Renunciation, Confession, Expiation, Meditation, Devotion, Essential Duty: The later chapters delve into practices essential for spiritual purification and progress:

  • Real Repentance (Paramārtha Pratikramaṇa): This is understood not as a ritual but as a state of the soul free from the dispositions of attachment and speech, constantly meditating on the pure soul.
  • Real Renunciation (Nischaya Pratyākhyāna): This involves meditating on the soul as being free from all karmas and external influences, asserting one's true self as infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and strength.
  • Supreme Confession (Paramālocanā): This involves meditating on the soul as distinct from karmas and impurities, and the four types of confession (ālocana, āluńchana, avikṛtikaraņa, bhāvasuddhi) are explained as stages of this introspection.
  • Real Expiation (Nischaya Prayaścitta): This is the process of eliminating impure thought-activities like anger, pride, deceit, and greed by cultivating virtues like forbearance, modesty, straightforwardness, and contentment. True expiation is also identified with the soul's inherent nature of pure knowledge and the observance of austerities that destroy karma.
  • Supreme Meditation (Paramasamādhi): This is achieved through self-restraint, self-adoration, and meditation on the soul, free from all speech and external interactions. It involves abandoning sorrowful and cruel meditations and embracing virtuous and pure meditation.
  • Supreme Devotion (Paramabhakti): Devotion to the Three Jewels and the liberated souls is considered devotion to liberation itself. True devotion lies in focusing one's mind on the soul, free from all volitions and external attachments.
  • Supreme Essential (Paramāvaśyaka): This refers to the soul's self-dependence, being free from the influence of others and karmas. It is the path to attaining the bodyless state of liberation. The text distinguishes between introverted (antarātmā) and extroverted (bahirātmā) souls, identifying the former as those who practice the essential duties and are engrossed in pure meditation.

• The Nature of the Omniscient and Liberated Souls: The text meticulously explains the attributes of the Omniscient Lord (Arhat) – free from four inimical karmas, possessing infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy, and adorned with thirty-four miraculous happenings. It then describes the Liberated Soul (Siddha) as being free from all eight karmas, eternally existing at the summit of the universe, and characterized by supreme bliss and attributes like knowledge, perception, strength, and incorporeality.

Significance:

Niyamasara is crucial for its clear exposition of the Jain path to liberation, emphasizing that true spiritual progress comes from inner realization and practice of the Three Jewels. It distinguishes between the empirical (vyavahara) and transcendental (niscaya) viewpoints, guiding the reader to ultimately embrace the transcendental perspective for true liberation. The text's detailed explanations, often referencing the teachings of earlier Acharyas, make it an invaluable resource for serious students of Jainism. The author, Acharya Kundakunda, himself a realized soul, conveys these profound truths with clarity and authority, making this work a timeless guide for soul-adoration.