Some Aspects Of Jaina Psychology As Revealed In The Bhagavati Sutra - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of "Some Aspects of Jaina Psychology as revealed in the Bhagavati Sutra" by J.C. Sikdar, based on the provided text:

This study, authored by Dr. J.C. Sikdar, delves into the psychological principles embedded within the ancient Jain text, the Bhagavati Sutra. It positions psychology as a crucial branch of philosophy, focusing on the study of the soul, the essence of knowledge and experience.

Core Tenets of Jaina Psychology:

Dualistic Reality: The Bhagavati Sutra posits an eternal coexistence of matter (Paramāņu) and soul (Ātmā). These two substances are intrinsically bound together in the universe, influencing each other.
Upayoga (Consciousness) as the Soul's Attribute: The fundamental characteristic of the soul is Upayoga, which is consciousness or application. This consciousness manifests in two primary forms:
- Sākāropayoga (Determinate Consciousness): This is identified with Jñāna (knowledge), which involves the comprehension of external objects, encompassing universal and particular aspects.
- Anākāropayoga (Indeterminate Consciousness): This is identified with Darśana (self-awareness), the soul's direct recognition of its own being.
Psycho-Physical Interdependence: All the soul's reactions are conditioned by the body, forming a psycho-physical structure. This includes aspects like vital force (prāņas), sense organs (indriyas), strength (bala), energy (vīrya), mind, speech (vāk), body (kaya), lifespan (āyus), and breathing (ānaprāņa).
Transformations of the Psychic Process: The psychic process undergoes two main transformations:
- Natural (Visrasā): The pure, unadulterated state of activities.
- Applied (Prayoga): A state of delusion or deviation from the normal, where activities are not in their pure form. This leads to delusive transformations.
Rāga (Attachment) and Dveṣa (Dislike/Aversion) as Fundamental Tendencies: These are the two primary tendencies driving the soul's actions. The soul seeks self-preservation, favoring what aids it and disliking what hinders it.
- Kaṣāyas (Passions): Rāga and Dveṣa are further categorized into four Kaṣāyas: Krodha (anger), Māna (pride), Māyā (deceitfulness), and Lobha (greed). These are seen as vices that destroy the soul's pure nature (jivabhāva).
- Varying Classifications of Kaṣāyas: The text explores how these passions are classified as either dosa (faulty) or pejja (dear) from different logical perspectives (Nayas), such as Naigama, Samgraha, Vavahara, Rju Sutra, and Shabda. These classifications depend on factors like associated pain, pleasure, public censure, and potential for spiritual gain.
- Destructive Nature of Passions: The passions are considered dosa because they lead to the influx of karmic matter, causing suffering in this life and the next. They destroy love, modesty, faith, and overall qualities. However, Lobha (greed) is also considered pejja in the context of aspiring for the Three Jewels (Right Faith, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct), which can lead to liberation.

Detailed Exploration of Psychological Elements:

Physical Basis of Mental Life: Psychology begins with the formation of a psycho-physical organism in the womb. The text describes the simultaneous development of sense organs and mind, highlighting a dualism between mind and body. It also discusses the soul's embodied state, noting it can be corporeal or incorporeal depending on the type of body considered (fiery, karmic, gross physical, etc.).
Senses and Perception:
- Five Sense Organs: The Bhagavati Sutra details the structure and function of the five sense organs (ear, nose, eye, tongue, skin), providing anatomical descriptions that align with modern scientific understanding.
- Sensation and Perception: Sensation is triggered by external stimuli interacting with sense organs. This process involves discrimination, assimilation, association, and localization, leading to perceptual knowledge (abhinibodhika jñāna). The text outlines the steps involved in sense perception: avagraha (general perception), iha (speculation), avāya (determination), and dhāraņā (retention/memory).
Memory and Imagination: These are linked to mental activity, involving speculation, exclusion, searching, and transforming thoughts. Memory involves reviving past experiences with a sense of familiarity.
Thought (Chinta/Mental Activity): This is the core of mental activity, interconnected with memory and imagination. The mind is considered "matter" (manadravya) associated with spiritual beings, and its activities are fleeting material states. The mind's output can be true, false, or a mixture of both.
Dreams: The Sutra categorizes dreams into five types: truthful, ramified, thought-based, opposite to reality, and indistinct. It notes that dreams are experienced by those in a mixed state of waking and sleeping. The text draws parallels between these dream theories and those of modern psychologists like Freud, Jung, and Adler, suggesting that dreams can represent repressed desires, future preparations, or current mental attitudes.
Belief or Attitude of Mind (Drști): This is central to thought and reasoning. An attitude can be characterized by truth (samyaktva) or falsehood (mithyatva), encompassing intellectual, emotional, and conative elements.
Vedana (Feeling): This is a subjective state of consciousness manifesting as pleasure, pain, or a combination. Feelings are categorized as organic (hunger, thirst, fever, etc.) or special sense-feelings (cold, warmth).
Desire and Gratification of Desire (Kāmabhoga): Desires and their gratification are viewed as psycho-physical phenomena. Desires are linked to sound and form, while gratification involves smell, taste, and touch, encompassing both mental and physical enjoyment.
Emotion: Emotions are complex mental agitations tinged with pleasure or pain, triggered by ideas or perceptions. They are closely linked to the Kaṣāyas (passions). The intensity of these passions is described through various stages and manifestations, such as different types of anger, pride, deceitfulness, and greed. The karmic matter associated with these passions is described as having specific colors, tastes, smells, and touches.
Leśyā (Condition of Soul): The text explains the six leśyās (Kṛṣṇa - black, Nīla - blue, Kāpota - grey, Tejas - red, Padma - lotus/yellow, Śukla - white) as representing the different conditions or psychological development of the soul, linked to virtue and ethical conduct. These are described in terms of color, taste, smell, and touch, and are associated with specific behavioral patterns ranging from cruelty to spiritual attainment.
Instinct (Saṁjña): Instincts are natural manifestations triggered by external stimuli, crucial for self-preservation. The Bhagavati Sutra lists ten kinds of instincts, including those related to eating, fear, sex, possession, anger, pride, deceitfulness, greed, and awareness of particular and general objects. These are found to align significantly with modern psychological theories of instinct, such as those of McDougall, who also categorizes instincts into receptive, emotional, and executive aspects.
Conation (Will/Action): Thought and feeling lead to will and action due to the presence of karmic matter. This manifests as mental, vocal, and physical activities (yogas). These activities are further classified into fifteen groups based on their relation to truth, falsehood, and different types of bodies.

In essence, Dr. Sikdar's analysis demonstrates that the Bhagavati Sutra provides a remarkably detailed and sophisticated framework for understanding human psychology, encompassing consciousness, perception, emotion, instinct, and the interplay between the mind and the physical body, all within a spiritual context.