Samyaktva Parakram 03

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Book Title: Samyaktva Parakram 03 Author(s): Jawaharlal Acharya, Shobhachad Bharilla Publisher: Jawahar Sahitya Samiti Bhinasar

This volume, the third part of "Samyaktva Parakram," is a discourse by the esteemed Acharya Shri Jawaharlal Ji, compiled and edited by Pandit Shri Shobhachand Bharilla. It delves into various aspects of Jain philosophy and practice, primarily focusing on the path to samyaktva (right faith/understanding). The book is a continuation of explanations based on the Uttaradhyayan Sutra, covering verses (bols) from the twenty-first to the thirty-fourth.

Summary of Key Discourses (Bols):

• Bol 21: Parivartana (Repetition/Recitation)

  • This section emphasizes the importance of repeatedly reciting and reviewing scriptures (सूत्र की परावर्तना).
  • Benefit: This practice helps in remembering forgotten words and letters (व्यंजन), leading to the attainment of vyanjan-labdhi (gain of letters) and padanusari-labdhi (gain of following a word). These abilities allow one to reconstruct words from letters and sentences from words, enhancing understanding and retention of the teachings.
  • Analogy: Just as a lamp illuminates objects, letters (व्यंजन) illuminate the meaning of profound truths. It compares the importance of knowledge gained through study to having a "third eye" that opens the heart.
  • Analogy: The necessity of regular review is likened to keeping weapons sharp by grinding them. Neglecting review leads to the forgetting of knowledge, just as neglected food spoils, a neglected horse becomes stubborn, and food on a hot pan burns.
  • Story: A story about King Bhoj and Kalidasa illustrates how understanding the context and implied meaning (padanusari-labdhi) allows one to connect related ideas, similar to Kalidasa composing a line of poetry based on a single word.

• Bol 22: Anupreksha (Reflection/Contemplation)

  • This bol focuses on the importance of deep contemplation (चिंतन/मनन) of scriptural meanings, going beyond mere recitation.
  • Benefit: Anupreksha leads to the purification of one's intentions (adhyavasaya). It weakens the strong bonds of the eight karmas (excluding lifespan karma), reduces their duration, intensity, and extent. It can even make nikachit (unbreakable) karma susceptible to modification.
  • Analogy: Wisdom (बुद्धि) is superior to brute strength (भैंस). Just as one intelligent person can manage many buffaloes, wisdom enables understanding and control.
  • Metaphor: It likens internal (wisdom) and external (material possessions) realities, advising against prioritizing the external at the expense of the internal.
  • Core Message: True happiness and benefit come from within. Excessive attachment to external things, even in dress and food, is a sign of being an "enemy of wisdom."
  • Spiritual Impact: It helps awaken discriminative intellect (vivek-buddhi) and leads to the renunciation of harmful things. It is stated that through Anupreksha, one can quickly cross the cycle of birth and death across the four realms.

• Bol 23: Dharmakatha (Religious Discourse)

  • This section discusses the qualifications and benefits of religious preaching.
  • Qualifications: One who can give a true religious discourse is one who has mastered Vachana (listening), Prichchhana (questioning), Paravartana (recitation), and Anupreksha (contemplation). Such a person has internalized the teachings and can guide others.
  • Benefit: Dharmakatha leads to the shedding of karma (nirjara) and enhances the glory of the Tirthankaras' teachings (pravachana-prabhavana). Through this, one can bind auspicious karma for the future.
  • Ethos: A preacher should act according to their own teachings. They should not seek personal gain or praise, nor feel disheartened if their words are not heeded. The focus should be on self-purification and the dissemination of dharma.
  • Analogy: A mother serving her child or a cleaner tending to their home without seeking reward illustrates the selfless spirit required.
  • Importance of Knowledge: It highlights the necessity of knowledge (gyana) before performing actions, especially acts of compassion (daya). Knowledge and compassion are intertwined like a tree and its fruit. True spiritual practice involves active knowledge.
  • Modern Relevance: It touches upon the need to impart spiritual knowledge in a way that resonates with contemporary times and to integrate spiritual teachings with practical life.

• Bol 24: Shrut Ki Aradhana (Worship of Scriptural Knowledge)

  • This bol focuses on the culmination of the five types of self-study (स्वाध्याय) mentioned earlier, which leads to the worship of scriptural knowledge (Shrut).
  • Benefit: The worship of scriptural knowledge eradicates ignorance (ajnan nash) and prevents mental turmoil (sanslesha). It leads to the discovery of the essence of truth within the seemingly mundane world.
  • Analogy: The closer one gets to the ocean, the cooler the air becomes; similarly, the deeper one delves into scriptural knowledge, the greater the inner peace and spiritual joy (ahlad) derived.
  • Metaphor: Scriptures are like an ocean of pearls; diving deep into them yields spiritual treasures. The taste of scripture transcends worldly pleasures.
  • Message: Ignorance is the root cause of attachment, anger, and subsequent suffering. Eradicating ignorance through scriptural study leads to detachment and spiritual peace.

• Bol 25: Mansik Ekagrata (Mental Concentration)

  • This section emphasizes the crucial role of a focused mind for effective scriptural study and spiritual progress.
  • Nature of Mind: The mind is described as having two aspects: dravya-man (material mind) and bhava-man (mental states/affections). Both are essential for true understanding and contemplation.
  • Control: The mind is notoriously fickle. Its control is achieved through a combination of abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment/dispassion).
  • Practice: This involves redirecting the mind from the impure (aprashta) to the pure (prashta) – i.e., from worldly distractions to divine contemplation.
  • Dispassion: Cultivating dispassion towards worldly objects, understanding their impermanent and ultimately unsatisfactory nature, helps in stabilizing the mind.
  • Analogy: The mind is compared to a child, needing guidance and protection from harmful influences.
  • Direct Benefit: A concentrated mind leads to truthful speech and the fulfillment of desires.
  • Spiritual Goal: The ultimate aim is to focus the mind on the Divine (Paramatma) for true peace and liberation.

• Bol 26: Samyam (Self-Control/Discipline)

  • This bol defines and elaborates on the concept of Samyam, the fifth aspect of the path to Samyaktva.
  • Definition: Samyam is the control over the senses and the mind, and the restraint from harmful actions. It is presented as a vital component that makes concentration meaningful.
  • Seventeen Types: Samyam is described through seventeen types, broadly categorized as:
    • Restraining the five influxes of karma (aasravas).
    • Conquering the five senses.
    • Subduing the four passions (kashayas).
    • Restraining the activities of mind, speech, and body.
    • Another classification includes restraints related to different life forms (earth-bodied, water-bodied, etc.) and actions like purification, contemplation, etc.
  • Ethos: The text stresses that sensory control is not about physically blocking the senses but about not allowing them to be drawn towards worldly objects.
  • Story: Through examples of responding to harsh words, resisting temptation (beautiful women, palaces), and maintaining integrity, it illustrates how to exercise sensory and mental control.
  • Key Principle: Integrity, truthfulness, and steadfastness in one's vows are paramount.
  • Outcome: Samyam leads to anahat-pana, meaning the prevention of new karma influx, and ultimately to a state of being free from karma (nishkarm avastha).

• Bol 27: Tap (Austerity)

  • This bol follows Samyam, explaining that while Samyam prevents new karma, Tap is essential for exhausting existing karma.
  • Definition: Tap (austerity) is derived from the root "tap" meaning "to heat" or "to burn." It refers to practices that purify the soul by "heating" it to burn away karma. It's not just fasting but any spiritual practice that involves self-discipline for karma destruction.
  • Twelve Types: Tap is divided into six internal and six external types:
    • Internal: Prayashchitta (penance), Vinaya (humility/respect), Vaiyaavachya (service), Swadhyaya (self-study), Dhyana (meditation), Kayotsarga (abandonment of the body).
    • External: Anshana (fasting), Uno-udari (eating less), Vrittisankshep (limiting food intake/vows), Rasparityag (abstaining from delicacies), Kayaklesha (enduring physical hardship), Pratisamlinata (withdrawing senses).
  • Importance of Anshana: Fasting is highlighted as a significant form of austerity with both spiritual and physical benefits.
  • Moderation: Eating in moderation (uno-udari) is also emphasized as a path to spiritual and physical well-being, contrasting with excessive eating.
  • Discipline: The text stresses the importance of adhering to one's vows and principles, even in difficult circumstances, using examples of Napoleon and a Maharaja.
  • Karma Exhaustion: True austerity aims at destroying accumulated karma.
  • Purity: Austerity should lead to purity of mind, speech, and action. Anger and pride are antithetical to true austerity.
  • Speech: An ascetic's speech should be pure, truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, aimed at comforting and guiding others.

• Bol 28: Vyavadan (Exhaustion of Karma)

  • This bol explores the direct outcome of Tap – the exhaustion of past accumulated karma, referred to as Vyavadan.
  • Definition: Vyavadan is the immediate consequence of austerity, signifying the destruction or mitigation of existing karma.
  • Benefit: The primary benefit of Vyavadan is achieving akriya (a state of inactivity or non-creation of new karma). This leads to the soul becoming Siddha (liberated), Buddha (enlightened), and Mukta (freed). Ultimately, it results in the cessation of all suffering (sarva-dukkha-anta).
  • Analogy: The soul is like water that becomes agitated by external forces (like wind on the sea or fire under a pot). Karma is the external force that agitates the soul. By removing karma, the soul attains its natural state of stillness and peace.
  • Spiritual Progression: The text clarifies the spiritual journey: Tap leads to Vyavadan, which leads to Akriya (inactivity), ultimately resulting in liberation (Siddha, Buddha, Mukta).
  • Understanding "Siddha, Buddha, Mukta": The text clarifies that Siddha does not mean annihilation but a state of perfect existence. It emphasizes that the liberated soul remains "Buddha" (possessing omniscience and omnivision), refuting the idea that liberation leads to a loss of consciousness or intellect. The order of progression is explained as becoming "Buddha" first (at the 13th stage of spiritual development) and then "Siddha" (liberated).
  • Perpetual Liberation: The text addresses the misconception that souls might return from liberation. It firmly states that once liberated, the soul remains so, free from the cycle of birth and death. The analogy of an infinite ocean and finite pearls is used to explain why the universe doesn't become devoid of souls even with continuous liberation.

• Bol 29: Sukha-Sata (State of Happiness/Well-being)

  • This bol examines the concept of Sukha-Sata and its relation to detachment and self-reliance.
  • Two Interpretations: The term Suhasayana can mean "state of happiness" or "comfortable bedding/residence." The text explores both.
  • Benefits of Detachment: True happiness is linked to self-reliance (swalambana) and detachment from external dependencies (paravalambana). This leads to mental peace (anushyaktata or nirakulata), contentment, and the shedding of passions and karmas, particularly charitra-mohaniya karma (karma obstructing right conduct).
  • Self-Reliance: The text emphasizes that true well-being comes from within, from self-sufficiency, and from not relying on others for one's needs or happiness. It criticizes dependence and lack of skills, using examples of lacking domestic skills or relying on others for basic needs.
  • Analogy: The story of Meghkumar and the elephant illustrates how self-reliance and detachment lead to true happiness, even in the face of hardship.
  • Virtuous Path: It advocates for living a life of detachment, self-reliance, and service to others through one's skills, ultimately leading to spiritual well-being.
  • Social Responsibility: It also touches upon the idea of contributing to society and helping those less fortunate, but ideally through enabling them rather than mere charity.

• Bol 30: Apratibaddhata (Non-attachment/Freedom from Entanglement)

  • This bol delves into the state of being free from worldly attachments and dependencies.
  • Definition: Apratibaddhata means being free from emotional or material entanglements with possessions, places, time, or people. It is the state of being unhindered and uninfluenced by the external world.
  • Benefit: This leads to nisangatva (non-affiliation or freedom from attachment), enabling constant focus on spiritual practices like meditation and contemplation. It results in mental peace and freedom from anxiety.
  • Analogy: The lotus growing in mud but remaining untainted illustrates the ideal of living in the world without being bound by its influences.
  • Human Condition: The text points out that humans often get entangled due to birth, proximity, or possessiveness (mamata). It contrasts this with the wise who strive to break these bonds.
  • Self-Realization: The human birth is presented as a rare opportunity to break free from attachments and realize one's true self, urging readers not to squander this chance.
  • Spiritual Ascent: It stresses that true freedom lies in detachment, urging the reader to follow the path of their ancestors who valued self-reliance and detachment over material comforts and social pressures.
  • Analogy: The comparison of a lion cub lost among sheep but realizing its true nature upon hearing a lion's roar is used to illustrate how one can rediscover their inherent divine nature by shedding false identifications.

• Bol 31: Vivikta Shayanasana (Seclusion of Dwelling and Seat)

  • This bol discusses the importance of choosing secluded and appropriate places for dwelling and sitting, especially for monks and nuns.
  • Purpose: Seclusion is vital for maintaining chastity (brahmacharya) and protecting one's vows (samyam). It helps avoid situations that could lead to mental disturbances or breaches of conduct.
  • Prohibition: Monks and nuns should avoid places where there are women, animals, or eunuchs due to the potential for disturbance.
  • Moderation in Food: The text also links this to dietary discipline, advising against food that stimulates passions or is obtained without proper care.
  • Analogy: The story of the elephant and the hunter, or the importance of a well-trained mind, emphasizes the need for caution and control over the senses.
  • Importance of Practice: It highlights that mere adherence to rules without internalizing the principles is insufficient. True practice requires self-discipline and detachment.
  • Karma and Causality: The discussion touches upon the complex nature of karma, distinguishing between different types of karmic bonds and how austerity and self-discipline can modify or destroy them. It also addresses the common misconception about karma being inescapable, explaining the nuanced ways in which karma operates and can be overcome.

• Bol 32: Vinivartana (Turning Away/Renunciation)

  • This bol focuses on the process of turning away from worldly desires and passions.
  • Definition: Vinivartana is the act of renouncing or turning away from sensual pleasures and worldly pursuits.
  • Benefit: This leads to the prevention of new sinful karma (papkarma) and the exhaustion of past karmic bonds. It enables the soul to transcend the cycle of birth and death across the four realms.
  • Analogy: The story of Lord Krishna crossing the Ganges River by his own strength, as opposed to using a boat (which would diminish his feat), illustrates the power of self-effort and renunciation in overcoming obstacles.
  • Virtue of Renunciation: It is presented as a path to achieving freedom from the cycle of suffering.
  • Theft: The concept of theft is broadened to include holding back what rightfully belongs to others or hindering their progress. It also discusses the difference between gross and subtle forms of theft, and the need for integrity in all dealings.
  • Truthfulness: The importance of truthfulness is stressed, even in the face of adversity. The story of Kukas Jat demonstrates the courage and integrity required to uphold truth.
  • Compassion: The text advocates for compassion (daya or anukampa) and the prevention of harm to living beings, explaining the nuances of violence and non-violence in the context of Jain ethics.

• Bol 33: Sambhogapratyakhayana (Renunciation of Shared Enjoyment)

  • This bol discusses the renunciation of shared activities and possessions, particularly relevant for monks.
  • Definition: Sambhog refers to shared activities, like eating together or living in close proximity. Pratyakhyana means renunciation.
  • Benefit: Renouncing sambhog leads to self-reliance (swalambana), freedom from dependence on others for support or resources, and spiritual contentment. It fosters mental peace and reduces the potential for conflict or attachment.
  • Self-Reliance vs. Dependence: The text emphasizes that true happiness lies in self-sufficiency. Dependence breeds anxiety and suffering, while self-reliance leads to inner peace and strength.
  • Analogy: The story of Draupadi advising Satyabhama on how to win over her husbands through selfless service and dedication illustrates the power of selfless action in fostering strong bonds and achieving desired outcomes.
  • Spiritual Goal: The ultimate aim of renouncing shared enjoyment is to achieve complete independence and detachment, leading to liberation.
  • Monastic Practice: It explains the specific contexts where monks might practice sambhogapratyakhayana, often linked to higher spiritual pursuits and austerities.

• Bol 34: Upadhi-pratyakhyana (Renunciation of Possessions/Attachments)

  • This is the final bol covered in the excerpt, focusing on the renunciation of external possessions and attachments.
  • Definition: Upadhi refers to possessions, tools, or external aids. Pratyakhyana means renunciation.
  • Benefit: Renouncing upadhi frees one from the worry and anxiety associated with acquiring, maintaining, and protecting possessions. It leads to a state of being free from mental and physical distress (klinata or nishkleshata).
  • Spiritual vs. Material: The text distinguishes between beneficial and harmful upadhi. While some possessions are necessary for worldly and spiritual conduct, excessive attachment to any upadhi is detrimental.
  • Analogy: The story of a king's son lost among sheep, who then realizes his true lion nature, illustrates how shedding false identifications and attachments leads to self-discovery and liberation.
  • The Path of Renunciation: It highlights that the ultimate renunciation of all external possessions is a key step towards liberation. However, it also acknowledges the practical necessity of certain tools for monks and nuns to maintain their practice. The emphasis is on minimizing and detaching from possessions rather than absolute zero possession in all cases.
  • Inner Transformation: The core message is that true freedom comes from inner detachment, not necessarily from the complete absence of external things. It encourages a mindful approach to possessions, using them as tools without becoming attached to them.
  • The Nature of Happiness: It concludes that true happiness lies in self-sufficiency and freedom from desire, rather than in the accumulation of external comforts.

Overall Theme:

"Samyaktva Parakram 03" serves as a guide to deeper spiritual understanding and practice. It systematically explains the interconnectedness of various virtues – from right faith and self-control to contemplation and detachment – on the path to liberation. The discourses are rich with analogies and stories, making complex philosophical concepts accessible and relatable. The underlying message is the importance of inner transformation, self-reliance, and consistent effort in overcoming worldly attachments and karmic bondage.