Samaysar Ki Rachna Me Kundkundki Drushti - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Samaysar ki Rachna me Kundkundki Drushti" by Bansidhar Pandit, in English:

This text analyzes the perspective of Acharya Kundkund in the composition of the Samaysar, aiming to understand the fundamental purpose and structure of this important Jain scripture.

Core Purpose of Samaysar:

The author concludes that Acharya Kundkund composed Samaysar with the intention that the entire human population should read it, grasp its underlying meaning, and be firmly resolved to shape their life activities according to that meaning. The ultimate goal is for them to live happily until the end of their lives.

Path to Spiritual Progress:

The text posits that among humanity, those who develop self-reliance in their mental, verbal, and physical activities (achieving internal independence) can become travelers on the path of spiritual liberation (self-freedom).

Classification of Souls (Jivas):

Samsari (Worldly) and Mukta (Liberated): Jainism categorizes souls into two types: those still bound by worldly existence and those who have achieved liberation. The liberated souls are called Siddhas.
No Soul is Innately Liberated: Unlike some other philosophies, Jainism asserts that no soul is eternally liberated from the outset.

Types of Worldly Souls:

Bhavya (Potentially Liberatable) and Abhavya (Not Potentially Liberatable): Worldly souls are further divided into Bhavya and Abhavya.
- Bhavya: Possess an inherent qualification to be liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
- Abhavya: Completely lack this inherent qualification.

The Condition of Worldly Souls:

Both Bhavya and Abhavya souls are bound by material karmas since time immemorial. Due to the influence of these karmas, they have been transmigrating through the four realms (hells, animals, humans, and heavens) for countless ages. Forgetting their inherent self-reliance, they remain dependent on external factors in their mental, verbal, and physical actions. Under the influence of mithyatva (delusion) and anantanu-bandhi kashaya (intense passions), they reside in the mithyadrishti gunasthana (deluded viewpoint stage) and engage in unethical conduct driven by false perception and false knowledge.

The text identifies these souls as apratibuddha (unenlightened) in Samaysar verses 12-23, attributing their unenlightened state to identifying with external substances, leading to ego and possessiveness. Verses 24-25 further elucidate the reasons for this unenlightenment based on scripture and logic.

Importance of Human Birth for Liberation:

While souls in all four realms can be unenlightened, and many can potentially become enlightened, liberation can only be attained through human birth. Therefore, Samaysar's discourse primarily targets the human population.

The Role of Bhavya and Abhavya in Liberation:

Both Bhavya and Abhavya souls can embark on the path to liberation. However, neither can recognize their own state of being Bhavya or Abhavya. Consequently, Abhavya souls, like Bhavya souls, may mistakenly believe they are Bhavya and commence the path towards liberation.

Abhavya Souls and Dharma:

Verse 175 of Samaysar indicates that Abhavya souls, like Bhavya souls, can hold faith in, understand, and engage in the "behavioral Dharma" (vyavahar dharma) that leads to liberation. However, their adherence to this Dharma does not lead to liberation; it merely contributes to an increase in worldly happiness.

The Process of Spiritual Progress and the Limitation of Abhavya:

Stages of Conduct: Both Bhavya and Abhavya souls, while in the mithyadrishti stage, can exhibit conduct similar to those in the fourth, fifth, and sixth spiritual stages (gunasthana).
Development of Labilities (Labdhis): Through this conduct, Abhavya souls can develop the kshayo-psham, vishuddhi, desana, and prayogya labdhis (capacities for subsidence-cum-destruction, purification, instruction, and aptitude, respectively). These can lead to rebirth in heavens up to the ninth level (navam-veyika).
Inability to Achieve Self-Purification: However, Abhavya souls cannot achieve self-purification in the form of samyag-darshan (right faith), samyag-gyan (right knowledge), and samyag-charitra (right conduct) like Bhavya souls. Self-purification into samyag-darshan requires the subsidence, destruction, or subsidence-cum-destruction of specific karmic impurities (three types of darshan-mohaniya karma and four types of ananta-anubandhi kashaya).
The Role of Bhhedvijnana (Discernment of Differences): The text emphasizes that achieving this self-purification is contingent upon gaining bhhedvijnana (the discernment of the difference between the soul and non-soul).
The Path to Bhhedvijnana: Bhhedvijnana is attained by acquiring the four labdhis, which in turn is achieved by embracing vyavahar dharma (behavioral Dharma) in the form of ethical conduct, vows of restraint (deshavrat), or complete vows (sarvavrat), with the coordination of mind, speech, and body.
Abhavya Limitation: Abhavya souls can acquire the four labdhis by engaging in vyavahar dharma, but due to their inherent nature, they cannot attain bhhedvijnana. This is the core meaning of Samaysar verse 175.
Coordination is Key: It's also noted that those who engage in vyavahar dharma without the coordination of mind, speech, and body do not attain these four labdhis.
Conclusion on Bhhedvijnana: Therefore, only Bhavya souls in the mithyadrishti stage can attain bhhedvijnana through the described progression; Abhavya souls cannot.

Amritachandra's Interpretation:

The commentary by Acharya Amritachandra (Kalash Padyas 128-132) further supports this interpretation, highlighting that Acharya Kundkund placed paramount importance on bhhedvijnana for a seeker of liberation.

Kalash 128: Those who know their own glory, through bhhedvijnana, gain knowledge of their pure essence. When they distance themselves from other substances, their karmic bondage is permanently destroyed.
Kalash 129: The direct attainment of samvara (cessation of karmic influx) comes from realizing the pure soul. This realization is based on bhhedvijnana, making its practice essential.
Kalash 130: Bhhedvijnana should be practiced continuously until the self is established in knowledge, having shed attachment to the external.
Kalash 131: All liberated souls have become so through bhhedvijnana; all bound souls are bound due to its absence.
Kalash 132: Through bhhedvijnana, the pure essence is realized, leading to the destruction of passions and samvara of karmas. This results in a supreme, unblemished, unique, and eternally radiant knowledge.

The Structure of Samaysar Reinforces the Message:

The sequential arrangement of Samaysar's verses further emphasizes the importance of bhhedvijnana:

Verse 1: Salutation to the Siddhas establishes the goal for the seeker.
Verse 2: Defines "own-time" (swasamaya) as souls stable in their undivided knowledge and distinct in conduct, knowledge, and character. "Other-time" (parasamaya) refers to souls bound by karmas and identifying with external substances.
Verse 3: Raises a question about the apparent contradiction of bondage when all substances are beautiful in their singular essence.
Verse 4: Addresses this by noting that while the stories of desire, enjoyment, and bondage are known, understanding the undivided essence of these is not easy.
Verse 5: Acharya Kundkund pledges to clarify this undivided essence in Samaysar.
Verse 6: The undivided essence of the soul is indeed clarified.
Verse 13: A samyag-drishti (one with right perception) is one who understands soul, non-soul, merit, influx, cessation, extinction, bondage, and liberation in their true form. This understanding of separate substances is defined as bhhedvijnana.
Subsequent Chapters: The detailed explanations of soul, non-soul, the non-existence of doer and action in relation to them, merit, demerit, influx, cessation, extinction, and bondage in their distinct forms are all intended to nurture bhhedvijnana.
Final Chapter: The chapter on fully purified knowledge (sarva-vishuddha-gyana) describes the independent nature of the soul.

This entire structure clearly indicates that Acharya Kundkund's primary instruction to seekers in Samaysar is to become masters of bhhedvijnana.

Final Conclusion:

The text concludes by reiterating that the two types of deluded worldly souls (mithyadrishti sansari jivas) mentioned in scripture – Bhavya and Abhavya – are further classified into six types: one-sensed, two-sensed, three-sensed, four-sensed, non-sentient five-sensed, and sentient five-sensed beings.

Souls from One-Sensed to Non-Sentient Five-Sensed: These beings only experience the results of karma, feeling mere pleasure and pain.
Sentient Five-Sensed Bhavya and Abhavya Souls: These beings consistently strive with intention and intellect to fulfill their desires, which are often unlimited desires for enjoyment and accumulation. To achieve these, they may resort to violence, falsehood, and theft, experiencing joy, never sorrow, in such pursuits. This intentional pursuit is termed sankalpi papa (resolute sin).
The Progression of Sin and Restraint:
- As long as sankalpi papa exists, they remain mithyadrushti, mithya-gyani, and mithya-charitri (deluded in view, knowledge, and conduct).
- Those who completely renounce sankalpi papa and engage in certain sins out of weakness or necessity are called arambhi papa (incipient sins).
- Bhavya and Abhavya souls involved in arambhi papa are called avirata (unrestrained).
- Those Bhavya and Abhavya who partially renounce this unrestraint are called deshavirata mithyadrushti (partially restrained deluded souls).
- Those Bhavya and Abhavya who properly renounce these arambhi papas completely are called sarvavirata mithyadrushti (fully restrained deluded souls).
The Ultimate Distinction: Both Bhavya and Abhavya souls, in their respective stages of unrestrained, partially restrained, and fully restrained conduct, can attain the four labdhis. However, due to their inherent nature, Abhavya souls, even after acquiring these labdhis, cannot become masters of bhhedvijnana. Only Bhavya souls, by virtue of their potential, can achieve bhhedvijnana.