Self Awakening

Shri Girnar Jain temple Complex Bhasvate harivamshadri srishikhamaNaye namaha| Dvavimsha tirtha sachchakranemaye arishtanemaye|| Harivamsha PuraNa- 1-24 Hail Arishta Nemi,  the radiator of knowledge,  the zenith among Harivamsha ranges and  the propagator of 22nd unconquerable Wheel of Dharma.

I BOW MY HEAD TO THE MASTERS OF JAINOLOGY. I ADORE THEIR WORDS AND DEEDS. I ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SOURCE FOR THIS TALK. MAY THEY BLESS AND GUIDE ME TO SELF-AWAKENING AND LIBERATION.

This talk was given on 28th Dec 2004 to the Faculty of Humanities, Sardar Patel Univ., Anand and At the Sri Jain Temple, Anand. I am extremely indebted to Prof. I.L. Kothari, Professor, Dept. Biosciences, SP Univ, Anand and Dr. Satyabrata Maiti, Director, National Research Centre on Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Borivile For facilitating these talks and Master Sanjog Maiti for his help in preparing the slides

JAINOLOGY & SELF-AWAKENING Dr. C. Devakumar Principal Scientist Indian Agricultural Research Institute New Delhi-110 012

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

COSMOS There is an eternal universe or cosmos. It is neither created nor will ever disappear in any time in any manner. It is constituted of six substances of eternal nature. – – – – – –

Soul Matter Medium of motion Medium of rest Space Time particles

Each one is independent in its function but dependent as a cosmic citizen.

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

SOUL AND MATTER •

•

Soul: They are infinite in number. Their special characteristic is consciousness. Knowing itself and others. The soul alone has the cognitive function. So other five are non-souls. Since it has the cognitive property, it is supreme among all. The communication between you and me is the communication of souls. So in Jainology, soul is supreme and is of utmost importance. Matter: The building block of all physical world. Material particles are infinite times infinite in number and perhaps even in varieties. High energy particles like quarks, sub-atomic particles, atoms and molecules, radiation etc are matter. They interact due to collision, attraction and repulsion. Only souls and matter are active, reactive and interactive.

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

INERT CONSTITUENTS 3.

Medium of motion: An inert substance which catalyses the motion of soul and matter. Just like water for fish. • Medium of rest: An inert substance which catalyses the rest of soul and matter. Just like friction. • Space: An inert substance capable of providing space to itself and other substances. • Time particles: Each particle occupies a space-point in the universe in a linear manner and thus there are innumerable time particles in the universe. The movement of soul and matter through time-axis enables measurement in temporal scale and velocity of the moving substance. The concept of past, present and future is thus real. Fourier transformation between frequency and time is a proof of its real existence.

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES of souls .

Freed existence (self) •

Bonded existence: bonded with matter called karma particles.

Bonded souls exist in four states (gati): celestial, human, animal-plant and infernal. Transmigration between states occurs all the time. Birth and death are two sides of a same coin. Death signals end of one particular life and the beginning of another life of a same soul.

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

Liberation from Bonded state is our concern 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Bonded existence is unreal. It is transient. It is subjected to material changes which are not of any relation with soul. Matter is devoid of knowledge and so soul’s association with matter is inferior. This causes ups and downs. The bonded soul feels pain and suffering. There is no shelter or escape from transmigration within bonded existence. You have no choice to pick and choose your state.

JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

What if Liberation from Bonded state 1. Freed existence is real. 2. It is permanent and would never return back to bonded state. 3. It is blissful state par excellence. 4. It is Independent and has absolute freedom. 5. You have nothing to do. Nothing to worry. 6. Nothing in the universe can match this state in any manner whatsoever.

SELF-AWAKENING

What perpetuates bonded existence? 1. Moha or delusion about one’s identity. Impersonation. Misidentity with physical matter as your own is the root cause. 2. Superimposed with the ignorance of souls’ infinite capacity of knowledge. 3. Unbecoming behaviour as a result of delusion and ignorance compounds perpetual bonded existence.

SELF-AWAKENING

What sustains bonded existence? 1. 2.

5.

Forgetting one’s own identity, the bonded soul relies on bonded effects as its own. What are they? It identifies mind, five senses and the body as a part of itself or itself. Being material in nature, they get attracted to matter. Like attracts like. constraint of other factors in making material availability leads to pleasure and pain; passions like anger, hurt, deceit and greed. This becomes self-breeding machine of new karmas. A perpetual self-feeding karma cycle thus goes on and on.

SELF-AWAKENING

Three Types of expressions of bonded souls •

In terms of material transaction. The soul assumes to be master of all actions and tries to control all material and physical actions to its whims and fancies. He tries all sorts of tricks to make them happen the way he wants it.

b) in terms of reaction to karmic effect such as feelings of pain and relief. Assuming to be a part of bonded life and relations, he/she becomes happy if something good happens to him/ his kith and kin and cries on the contrary. c) in terms of its consciousness. he realizes the futility of ownership of things and persons which he has no control. He perceives pain and pleasure as two sides of material world and not his own. 2. First two ways perpetuates accumulation of fresh karma 3. Third way wards off karma.

SELF-AWAKENING

What is the RIGHT PATH? 1. 2. 3.

4.

Disown the forces of delusion and ignorance as your own. Antidote to these two poisons are right perception and right knowledge. By right perception we mean global vision. Having faith in the existence of a soul in a bonded body and respecting its identity and capacity to liberate. By right knowledge, impurities of sensory knowledge viz. doubt, illusion and delusion are discarded. Irrespective of the apparent sources of information, you go to the bottom of the truth. Knowledge originates from soul. Soul is devoid of these defects and so you isolate them and see the truth. That is right knowledge.

SELF-AWAKENING METHODS

ROAD TO LIBERATION 1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Have Right faith. This is attained by developing interest in Jainology. Adore passion-free state. This is possible by deep meditation of soul’s attributes. Trust that sensory pleasures as transients and doorway to doomsday. Adore the path of complete renunciation of material attributes and its compound effect. Regulate your senses, mind and body towards your soul. Let them serve the causes of soul. Enrich your lifestyle with attributes of soul. compassion, forgiveness, humility, truth, service to fellow beings in terms of dedication of commonwealth, transparency, non-stealing, non-greed etc.

SELF-AWAKENING STEPS

YOU MAKE YOUR DESTINY 1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

Remember, you are the sole master of your destiny. Always remember that your soul is permanent but your state is temporary. Given the choice, vote for the cause of soul in preference to the state. You do not have to bring down your Self-prestige in the name of kith and kin, country and community. Extend hand of friendship to all beings, eulogise the noblemen and deeds, sympathise with the cause of poor, sick, old and downtrodden and accommodate opposition with magnanimity. Forbear the obstacles as the fruition of past karma. Don’t get shattered when the tempest of karma sweeps you. Keep your feet firm. Remain aloof from the feelings of pain and pleasure.

SELF-AWAKENING

Daily codes of conduct         

Worship the freed souls or those on the path to freedom. Render service to Sacred scriptures. Be in the company of noble people. Meditate on the souls’ attributes. introspect your daily activities and repent for any transgression. Pray and resolve not to repeat the same mistake. Always praise the worthy. ignore negative thoughts, words and deeds circulating around you. Always adore sweet and pious talk.

The Self-Awakened State (The Tamil ode beginning “YAdum Ore YAvarum KeLir” by GaNiyan PongunRanAr = Acharya of Flowerhills, circa 2 AD)

We are the citizens of the Universe; each organism is our pedigree. Good and evil do not proceed from others. Suffering and soothing are mere faces of a coin. Even death is not new! Neither go we overboard with events calling pleasant, Nor would get depressed galling them unpleasant. Just as a raft carried through the rocky course of a river mighty, Our peerless soul tumbled through the flow of transmigration.