Vahemmukti

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Vahemmukti" by Sukhlal Sanghavi, focusing on the provided pages:

The book "Vahemmukti" (Freedom from Superstition) by Sukhlal Sanghavi argues that religious festivals, particularly Paryushan in Jainism, have become occasions for strengthening superstitions rather than promoting true religious understanding and liberation. The author believes that genuine religion is fundamentally incompatible with superstitions.

The Root of Superstition:

Sanghavi identifies ignorance and lack of awareness as the primary sources of all superstitions. This ignorance is so pervasive and dark that its true nature is not easily grasped by ordinary people. However, when this ignorance manifests as superstitions, it does so indirectly, through certain prevailing human tendencies. Two of these dominant tendencies are:

• Greed (Lobh): The desire for something, often material or beneficial, fuels many superstitions.
• Fear (Bhay): The apprehension of negative consequences or the unknown drives other superstitions.

Both greed and fear are presented as direct results of ignorance. When the veil of ignorance remains or weakens, it inevitably breeds and reinforces greed and fear within the realm of religion. This ignorance also creates a dense curtain over human thought, preventing individuals from recognizing that they are victims of superstition. Instead, they mistakenly equate superstitions with true religion, thereby further succumbing to greed and fear. The cunning of ignorance lies in its ability to prevent a person from understanding the true nature of knowledge while simultaneously hindering their understanding of ignorance itself.

Paryushan: A Perversion of its Purpose:

The author laments that Paryushan, a religious festival that should ideally be an occasion for freedom from superstition, has instead become a festival that reinforces it. Under the guise of observing Paryushan, people are becoming increasingly superstitious and weak. Instead of the community's spiritual stature becoming pure and strong, it is becoming impure and debilitated. This prompts the author to discuss this issue at length.

Critique of the Traditional Recitation of Lord Mahavir's Life:

While various religious activities occur during Paryushan, the reading and listening to the life of Lord Mahavir are central. This practice has been prevalent for thousands of years, with scholars and practitioners alike participating. Sanghavi questions whether this practice truly leads to freedom from superstitions or binds people further to them. He argues that if people are becoming more entangled in superstitions, it is imperative to highlight this for the attention of selfless and fearless thinkers.

Examples of Superstition in Lord Mahavir's Biography:

The text then delves into specific examples from Lord Mahavir's life story that, according to the author, foster superstition:

• The Birth Event: The account of thousands of gods and goddesses attending Lord Mahavir's birth, with goddesses carrying the infant to Mount Meru and the mountain trembling, is presented as unnatural and difficult to comprehend. The author notes that listeners are not encouraged to question the naturalness of these events. Instead, they are told that this is the life of a great soul, not an ordinary one, and that they should only have faith. This emphasis on faith is seen as overshadowing the desire for and effort towards true understanding.
• Childhood Play: Incidents like "Amalaki Kreeda" (a childhood game) are cited. The author questions how a divine being can play with human children, and if the divine body cannot suppress the child's divine form, how is it superior to other divine beings like Rama and Krishna? This leads to a focus on elevating one's own deity over others, forgetting to question the veracity of the divine intervention in the first place.
• Divine Intervention in Mahavir's Sadhana: The author points out that Lord Mahavir progressed without divine help, yet his life is written in a way that suggests he couldn't have succeeded without it. The instance of Sangam, who disrupted Mahavir's penance, is questioned. The author asserts that in the context of natural human life, as understood in Jain Agamas, such divine intervention to cause impediments is out of place. If Sangam existed, he would have been a superior human who might have caused some disturbances, but within a certain limit. However, humanity has deliberately dulled its thinking capacity to the point of not even considering these questions.
• The Conception Incident (Garbhadharan): The most prominent example discussed is the divine intervention to make impossible events possible. Lord Mahavir was conceived in Devananda's womb but was born to Trishala. This event, which the author finds so absurd that even non-Jains would scoff, is explained by divine intervention: "the gods performed the transference of the embryo." The power of gods is presented as immeasurable. This belief, the author contends, strengthens faith and closes the door to new knowledge. While some modern Jains question this narrative, the author notes that the response from some is so steeped in faith that they suggest those who don't accept divine intervention and mediation should leave the Jain community altogether.

The Need for Critical Inquiry:

Sanghavi laments the lack of openness to critical inquiry and the need to find explanations for misunderstood and unexplained mysteries. Instead, he observes that in the minds of millions, superstitions and blind faith are continuously being molded by the hammer of interpretations. Neither ascetics nor householders seem to consider that the new generation listening to these narratives might reject even the true aspects of the faith along with the false ones.

Questions of Social Hierarchy and Purity:

The author raises critical questions about social hierarchies and the concept of purity:

• Would anything have been amiss if Lord Mahavir had been born to Devananda? If conception did not corrupt his life, how could birth do so?
• If Lord Mahavir, who renounced his worldly attachments even after marrying Yashoda, could be prevented from achieving omniscience by being born to Devananda, why would the birth to a Kshatriya woman not interfere with his detachment?
• What quality does a Kshatriya woman possess that it does not hinder the manifestation of detachment, while a Brahmin woman's status might?
• What is the fundamental essence of Kshatriyatva (Kshatriya-ness) and Brahmanatva (Brahmin-ness), and why is one considered superior to the other?

These questions, the author states, are not asked, and even if asked, are not answered with rational explanations. This situation, he believes, is detrimental to the prestige of the Jain community, as it perpetuates superstitions rather than liberating people from them.

The Conflict Between Historical Truth and Superstition:

The author notes the growing discourse about writing Lord Mahavir's life from a historical perspective so that it can be understood rationally. He questions whether gods have a place in history and if humanistic explanations are necessary for events attributed to them. If explanations are needed, then liberation from old superstitions is inevitable. If they are not needed, then the desire to write historical biographies should be abandoned, as there is no other recourse. Sanghavi criticizes some writers who, despite being historical in their approach, fail to offer explanations or engage in free thinking about superstitions, attributing this to a lack of courage to confront popular beliefs. He reiterates that to observe religious festivals truly, the inclination to break free from superstitions must be cultivated.

Behavioral Superstitions:

Beyond intellectual superstitions, Sanghavi discusses deeply rooted behavioral superstitions:

• The Cradle Ceremony: The practice of observing Paryushan, performing rituals like hanging a cradle, and people taking the cradle home is questioned. The purpose is said to be for those without children to gain progeny.
• The "Pāranu" Ritual: The author describes the ritual of tying a "Pāranu" (a string or a small cradle-like object) as if it were a commodity traded for profit, wherein people try to obtain a child from a guardian deity, God, or the law of karma. This, he calls a superstition.
• Influence on Young Minds: He points out that when young girls are instilled with the belief that tying a "Pāranu" is the ultimate means to achieve progeny, how can they practice restraint, health, and protection of their reproductive organs?
• Blaming Deities and Karma: If a child is not born even after performing the ritual, people blame the presiding deity, God, past karma, or the false hopes created by superstitions propagated by gurus.

Sanghavi concludes that if these practices and beliefs are not worthy of consideration, then Paryushan has no meaning. It ceases to be a religious festival and becomes a festival of superstition, losing its essential spirit of liberation from superstition.

In essence, "Vahemmukti" is a powerful critique of how religious practices, particularly during important festivals like Paryushan, can become vehicles for perpetuating ignorance and superstition, hindering true spiritual progress. The author urges a return to rational inquiry, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the core tenets of Jainism, free from the distortions of blind faith and unfounded beliefs.