Pratisevna

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Pratisevna" by Ramanlal C Shah:

The book "Pratisevna" by Ramanlal C Shah, found in the Jintattva Granth series, delves into the concept of "Pratisevna" within Jainism, drawing parallels between physical illnesses and afflictions of the mind and soul.

The text begins by highlighting the common experience of dealing with physical illnesses. It emphasizes that successful recovery depends on accurate diagnosis, timely and proper treatment, and the patient's honesty about their condition. The analogy is made that just as a doctor needs accurate information from a patient to prescribe the right cure, individuals seeking spiritual well-being need to be honest about their inner faults.

The book then expands this concept to the spiritual realm, stating that just as the body can get sick, the mind and soul can also suffer from illnesses. However, the signs of mental and spiritual ailments are not as immediately apparent as physical ones; they are subtle, take time to manifest, and their cures are also intricate, with results often delayed.

A significant anecdote illustrates this point: a tapasvi (ascetic) who normally subsisted on fruits accidentally consumed fish due to extreme hunger. He fell ill, and the physician's treatments failed because the tapasvi concealed the fact that he had eaten fish, only mentioning his usual fruit diet. Only when the physician pressed him hard, emphasizing the life-threatening situation, did the tapasvi confess, allowing the physician to administer the correct treatment and cure him. This story underscores the critical importance of honest confession of faults for effective remediation, whether it be physical, moral, or spiritual.

The text then contrasts the diligent efforts people make for bodily cleanliness (bathing, brushing teeth, etc.) with their lack of focus on purifying the mind and soul. It asserts that understanding the true nature of the soul, its inherent qualities, and the defects that tarnish it is essential for striving towards its purification.

The core of the book introduces "Pratisevna" as the state where the soul becomes impure due to the indulgence in faults or defects. The text, citing the "Bhagavati Sutra," identifies ten principal causes or types of Pratisevna:

1. Darp Pratisevna: Violating restraints due to ego or pride.
2. Pramad Pratisevna: Impurities arising from the indulgence in the five types of Pramad: intoxication, sensual pleasures, anger/passions, sleep, and idle talk.
3. Anabhoga Pratisevna: Wrongful actions committed due to ignorance (Anabhoga).
4. Atur Pratisevna: Sins committed when one is overwhelmed by physical discomforts like hunger, thirst, etc.
5. Apatti Pratisevna: Weakening of one's conduct during times of calamity, categorized into four main types:
   • Dravya-apatti: Lack of essential resources like food.
   • Kshetra-apatti: Being in a dangerous or uncivilized region where restraints are hard to maintain.
   • Kala-apatti: Natural disasters like famine, floods, earthquakes, causing distress and leading to wrong actions.
   • Bhava-apatti: Mental distress due to illness or unease, leading to loss of self-control.
6. Sankirna Pratisevna: Engaging with something (like food) even when there is a suspicion of a defect in it.
7. Sahasakara Pratisevna: Acting inappropriately without forethought or sudden impulsive actions.
8. Bhay Pratisevna: Committing wrong actions (like lying, blaming others, or engaging in vices) due to fear of insult, public criticism, punishment, or death.
9. Pradosh Pratisevna: Impurity arising from passions like anger.
10. Vimarsha Pratisevna: Deliberately making false accusations with the intent to test or scrutinize someone.

The book concludes by emphasizing that avoiding these ten types of Pratisevna is crucial for purifying the mind. It reiterates that life is complex, and these subtle "diseases" of Pratisevna can creep into the mind unnoticed. The responsibility for diagnosing and treating these faults lies with the individual. Delay in identifying and rectifying personal errors or impurities can lead to severe consequences, likened to a hunter who doesn't remove thorns from his feet, becoming unable to flee from a lion's attack and thus becoming its prey. Therefore, the scriptures strongly advocate for the immediate identification and removal of faults, just as one would remove thorns. The text stresses that people tend to become complacent regarding their faults, and therefore, the practice of constantly observing one's daily conduct and promptly rectifying errors is considered the hallmark of noble individuals.