Swadhyaya Ka Saral Swadhyaya

This document, "Swadhyaya ka Saral Swadhyaya" by Lakshmichandra, discusses the profound significance and practice of Swadhyaya (self-study) within the Jain tradition. The author emphasizes that Swadhyaya is not merely reading religious texts but a deep engagement with spiritual knowledge that leads to self-realization and liberation.

Here's a breakdown of the key points:

1. Importance of Swadhyaya:

• Swadhyaya is crucial for everyone, educated or uneducated, and forms the basis of the relationship between a speaker and a listener.
• While religious discourse is declining in modern society, true Swadhyaya involves not just reading but also understanding the subject matter and applying it to daily life for personal upliftment.
• Becoming a good speaker and listener requires enthusiasm, curiosity, patience, association with the virtuous, intellect, faith, knowledge, conduct, recognition of Dev (God), Shastra (scriptures), and Guru (preceptors), affection towards them, similar conduct, and detachment from the world, body, and worldly pleasures.
• Effective communication requires selecting appropriate topics, using understandable language, providing suitable examples, and employing logic and science. A speaker should also relinquish the prejudice of insisting their view is the absolute truth.
• Comparing Jain principles with other religions can enrich knowledge and create an attractive impact on the audience, thus making Swadhyaya successful.
• Swadhyaya is the foundation of good association (Satsang), which can transform individuals.

2. The Nature of True Knowledge:

• The text highlights the supremacy of knowledge, quoting Pandit Daulatram's "Chhahdhala" which states that "there is no other cause of happiness in the world than knowledge. This supreme nectar can cure birth, old age, and death."
• Knowledge is considered the ultimate "nectar" capable of eradicating the cycle of birth and death.
• The author draws an analogy between physical eyes and the "eyes of wisdom" (Prajna Chakshu). While external eyes are important, the inner eyes of intelligence and conscience are far more vital. The loss of inner vision is considered a complete loss.
• True knowledge is equated with self-awareness and the understanding of one's true self (soul). Socrates' "Know Thyself" and Vedic Rishis' "Atmanam Biddhi" (Know yourself/the soul) are cited as crucial injunctions.
• Swadhyaya is the mother of both knowledge and the knowledgeable, and it acts as a guiding light (deep-shikha) to understand the distinction between self and non-self (body and soul).

3. Swadhyaya as the Source of Education:

• Education makes an incomplete person complete, and its ultimate goal is character building and the attainment of righteousness.
• In ancient times, when even basic necessities like language, script, paper, ink, and pens were scarce, the constant struggle for survival itself served as a form of Swadhyaya, inspiring unwritten study, experience, and practice.
• All modern disciplines are the result of years of Swadhyaya and experimentation.
• The author believes that the core principle of "If you are human, understand another human as human" is the most important teaching, both in the past and present.

4. Meaning and Misconceptions of Swadhyaya:

• The literal meaning of Swadhyaya is "study of the self" (Sw + Adhyaya). It involves understanding the difference between the body and soul, and believing in the fundamental causes of liberation like the six substances, six leshya (dispositions), six types of living beings, five astikayas (categories of existence), five vows, five disciplines (samiti), five paths (gati), five types of knowledge (gyan), and five types of conduct (charitra).
• The author laments that Swadhyaya is often misunderstood and practiced incorrectly. Some engage in casual reading without proper understanding or guidance, leading to distorted interpretations.
• Reading newspapers, magazines, account books, course materials, or even religious texts without proper guidance, intention, or understanding is considered a misinterpretation of Swadhyaya.
• A more accurate interpretation of Swadhyaya is defined as "obtaining knowledge of one's own soul" (Sw + Adhi + Ay, where Adhi means knowledge and Ay means income or attainment).
• Activities that do not lead to self-realization or self-control are considered tedious and detrimental and should be avoided. One should seek guidance from authentic scholars or Gurus (Shramans).

5. The Fourfold Path of Swadhyaya:

• The Jain tradition outlines four types of Anuyogas (branches of scripture study) for Swadhyaya:
  1. Prathamanuyog: Deals with historical and narrative accounts.
  2. Karananuyog: Focuses on cosmology and mathematical principles.
  3. Charananuyog: Discusses conduct and ethical practices.
  4. Dravyanuyog: Explores the nature of substances and reality.
• All four Anuyogas, supported by the teachings of Lord Jinendra, should be studied sequentially without neglecting any.
• It is not a loss of pride to ask scholars or Gurus questions for clarification or confirmation.

6. The Five Types of Swadhyaya:

• Based on Acharya Umaswami's "Moksha Shastra" (Tattvartha Sutra), there are five elements that make Swadhyaya meaningful and well-developed:
  1. Vachana: Reading or teaching religious texts with accurate pronunciation and understanding of the meaning, and explaining it to others in their language.
  2. Prichchhana: Asking questions to a learned person or Guru to clear doubts or reinforce learned material, with humility and discretion. Asking questions to show off knowledge or belittle others is condemned.
  3. Anupeksha: Repeatedly contemplating, pondering, and meditating on religious topics or truths presented by learned speakers or conduct-oriented Acharyas. This involves critically evaluating knowledge in the context of scriptures.
  4. Amnaya: Reciting scriptures with flawless pronunciation, paying attention to vowel lengths and pauses, at a moderate pace, with emotional engagement, and without negligence.
  5. Dharmopadesha: Preaching religion and inspiring others to practice it, but not offering "golden advice" that can lead to karmic bondage. Explaining profound religious truths in simple, understandable language for the general public is considered appropriate, even without being asked, to elevate life.

7. Swadhyaya as Austerity (Tapa):

• Jain Acharyas refer to Swadhyaya as Paramtapa (supreme austerity). It is the third of the daily obligatory duties of a layperson (Shravaka) and is mandated twice daily to increase faith, discrimination, and practice.
• While appearing simple externally, Swadhyaya is internally profound and challenging, requiring control over senses and mind to focus on a specific subject.
• Engaging in Swadhyaya and resolving doubts in a religious gathering is not a simple task, and providing satisfactory solutions to all inquisitive individuals is akin to climbing Mount Everest.
• A good speaker is one who remains unfazed by a barrage of questions, while a good listener is one who "retains the essence and discards the dross."
• Listeners should be thoughtful and adaptable, willing to admit and correct any errors or misconceptions they might have based on prejudice.

8. Swadhyaya as Internal Austerity:

• Acharya Umaswami, in the ninth chapter of Moksha Shastra, describes two types of austerities: external (Bahyatapa) and internal (Abhyantaratapa).
• External austerities (six in number) are related to the body and are visible: fasting, reduced intake, vow of food restriction, renunciation of specific tastes, living in solitude, and enduring physical hardship.
• Internal austerities (also six) are related to the soul, are not externally visible, and include expiation (Prayaschitta), humility (Vinaya), service (Vaiyavrutya), self-study (Swadhyaya), detachment (Vyutsarga), and meditation (Dhyana).
• Therefore, Swadhyaya is categorized as an internal austerity. Just as fire quickly reduces a haystack to ashes, austerity destroys all karmas.
• The essence of austerity (Tapa) is the cessation of desires, achievable by those with strong resolve, particularly in meditation.

9. The Power of Swadhyaya:

• The power of Swadhyaya is immeasurable and can transform a wicked person into a noble human being, and even a divine being.
• The following principles should be kept in mind for effective Swadhyaya:
  1. Live with the understanding of "Know thyself, live, and let live."
  2. Swadhyaya should be religious, psychological, and idealistic.
  3. Swadhyaya should bring peace and happiness, alleviate suffering, but not be done for displaying knowledge or arrogance.
  4. True knowledge comes from knowing that you know.
  5. One who knows but is unaware that they know is simple.
  6. One who does not know that they do not know is empty.
  7. One who does not know but believes they know is a fool.
• The text concludes with a quote from Acharya Ramsen in Uttaradhyayana, stating that through the combination of Swadhyaya and meditation, the soul can realize its divine nature.

In essence, "Swadhyaya ka Saral Swadhyaya" is a comprehensive guide to understanding and practicing self-study as a fundamental path to spiritual growth and liberation within Jainism, emphasizing its depth, importance, and the correct methods of engagement.