The
same is stated as the next Gatha :
Gatha 15 : The person who sees the soul as untouched/bondage-
free, unique, indifferent, permanent and interaction free- conjoined with these
five adjectives, he views the entire Jina Shasana. How is that Jina Shasana ?
Which comprises of external dravya sruta in the form of spoken words and internal Bhava sruta in the form of
knowledge , both of them together form the Jina Shasana.
Commentary : The experience of the soul in the five forms of
untouched/unbonded, unique, permanent, indifferent and interaction free bhavas
is definitely the experience of entire Jina Shasana because sruta gyana is soul
itself hence it proves that experience of the soul itself is the experience of the knowledge.
However
it is important to note that the knowledge is really experienced when
experienced with the exposition of samanya gyana (knowledge without
differentiation) and with the suppression of Vishesha gyana ( knowledge with
differentiation) of the form of subjects of knowledge. However those who are
ignorant and those who are interested/involved in objects of knowledge alone; they do not experience the taste of
knowledge. The same is elaborated by means of an example-
Imagine
a large serving of food comprising of several vegetables. An ignorant person
enjoys the tastes of various vegetables without realizing that it is the common
salt which is inherent in all the vegetables which is providing them the taste.
He is engrossed in tasting the different vegetables and does not experience the
common factor present. If we examine it carefully then we find that it is
really the taste of common salt which is being experienced in all the special
preparations being experienced.
In
the same manner, the objects of knowledge are several and are mixed. The
ignorant is engrossed in knowing them differently and he does not realize the
common factor knowingness inherent
within all of them. If we examine it carefully then we find that the people
with right knowledge are not engrossed in the objects of knowledge
separately , but they experience the
common knowingness itself amongst all of them.
Further,
just as a crystal of salt when considered without in conjunction with other
dravyas, is experienced as salt only due to its nature,
in the same manner, the soul also, when experienced without interaction of
other dravyas, it is experienced as knowingness alone due to its being of nature of knowledge from all sides.
Explanation : Here experience
of the soul has been declared to be same as the experience of knowledge. The
ignorant people are engrossed in objects of knowledge i.e. subjects of sensory
knowledge alone , due to which they taste the knowledge in the form of several
objects of knowledge , and do not taste the knowledge as different from those
objects. However those who have the right knowledge, they are not engrossed in
objects of knowledge, they experience the knowledge as different from those
objects in a singular knowledge form
Just
as crystal of salt tastes of salt alone different from other vegetables, the
right knowledge person experiences the knowledge as different from all other
objects of knowledge. Therefore knowledge alone is soul and soul itself is
knowledge. In this manner on observing it is said that, without differentiation
of qualities and its owner, different from all other dravyas, immersed within all its paryayas
singularly unchangingly, experience of
the self alone is experience of the knowledge. This experience itself is the
experience of the Jina shasana in the form of bhava sruta gyana. From shuddha
naya point of view there is no difference between the two.
The
same is expressed in kalash form as follows:
Shloka 14: Acharya wishes that we should attain that great
glorified bright form which is always manifested in the form of consciousness.
Just as a crystal of salt always manifests in the form of saltiness, in the
same manner the great glorified form manifests in the form of knowledge. How is
that brightness ? – indivisible i.e. it does not divide into different forms of
objects of knowledge. And how is it ? –Unperturbed, in which there is no
perturbation on account of nimitta of karmas causing generation of passionate
bhavas. And how is it ? – Indestructible. Internally which is experienced as
illuminated due to consciousness and
externally which is illuminated and known
by the acts of speech and body. Which is natural and simple. No one has created it. Whose
brightness is ever constantly illuminated.
Explanation:
Here Acharya preys that the flame of singular
knowledge form be ever available to us.
Now
the next gatha is introduced by the kalash:
Shloka 15: Those desirous of attaining permanent soul of the nature of knowledge as
described above practice in two ways as the practitioner and his goal. Only the
soul is the objective hence O disciples ! Practice that only.
Explanation : Although
the soul of the nature of knowledge is one only, its final complete form is the
goal and the incomplete form is the state of practitioner. With these two
differentiations , the one final form is the object of practice.
Now
in the next gatha the form of practitioner of belief-knowledge-conduct is
described:
Gatha 16: It is desirable that the saint person practices the
belief-knowledge-conduct continuously. Although these are three but from
Nishchaya Naya point of view they are one soul only.
Commentary : From
Nishchaya naya point of view the goal and the means are one and the same i.e.
the soul needs to practice being within
himself continuously. The same is
described in Vyavahara naya form as that the saints should practice
belief-knowledge-conduct continuously. In reality if we see then all the three
are one and the same and there is no difference since these are manifestations
of the soul only.
Just
as the belief-knowledge-conduct of a person named Devadatta do not
trespass beyond his nature while
manifesting, and thus they are Devadatta only not another thing. In the same
manner the belief-knowledge-conduct of the soul do not exceed beyond the nature
of the soul and are therefore soul only not another thing. Hence it is
established that only one soul needs to be practiced and that soul illuminates on its own.
Explanation: Belief-knowledge-conduct
are the paryayas of soul only and not another thing. Hence from Nishchaya point
of view the saint should practice the soul only and in practice the others
should be preached the same.
The
same is described in next kalash :
Shloka 16 : If the soul is observed from the point of view of
Praman , then the soul is seen to be many states as well as single state at the
same time. Because the soul is in three forms of belief-knowledge-conduct and
at the same time it is one with itself.
Explanation:
From praman point of view the eternal substance is observed as Dravya –Prayaya form together,
hence soul is also observed as one and many forms together.
Now
the Nayas are described:
Shloka 17 : If seen from Vyavahara naya point of view then
the soul has three natures hence is many formed because the soul manifests in
the form of belief-knowledge-conduct.
Explanation : The soul is one
from Shuddha Dravyarthik naya point of view. When this naya is rendered primary
then the Paryayarthik naya is ignored. Therefore saying that one is manifesting in the form of three is Vyavahara
and is untrue also . In this manner from Vyavahara naya point of view the soul
is described as many due to manifestation of belief-knowledge-conduct.
Now
realistic view is described:
Shloka 18 : If observed from shuddha Nishchaya naya point of
view then soul is of singular form of flame of knowledge , because from shuddha
dravyarthik naya point of view , his
nature is to reject the vibhava bhavas generated due to nimitta of other
dravya and due to nature of other dravyas. Hence he is purely one only.
Explanation:
If we discard the differentiating view and observe
from undifferentiated view then soul is singular and that is one form only.
Thus
soul has been declared as one –many from the points of view of praman- naya
aspects. Hence discarding these worries one should practice the goal ,
whichever way possible.
Shloka 19: The soul is of the form of many by differentiation
and is of the form of one by undifferentiated view- do not worry about them.
The soul as the goal can be realized only by the belief-knowledge-conduct ,
these three bhavas and nothing else – this is the rule.
Explanation:
The pure nature of the soul is the goal to be
realized by means of pure dravyarthik naya. This is performed using
Paryayarthik naya form Vyavahara naya . Hence it is asked that what is the
purpose of statement of differentiated-undifferentiated forms. Whichever way
the goal is attained , same route should
be adopted. The people oriented towards
Vyavahra understand paryaya only hence belief-knowledge-conduct form
manifestation alone is soul, thus differentiated form is given prominence to
realize the undifferentiated form.
Same
objective is stated by means of example in
following two gathas:
Gatha 17 : Just as a person desirous of money identified the king
, follows him, and then serves him very well with lot of care in conduct.
Gatha 18 : In the same way person desirous of Moksha should know
the king in the form of Jiva, believe in him , and then conduct accordingly
i.e. experience him by immersing in the same.
Commentary : Definitely
a person desirous of money firstly identifies the king with care and then follows him thinking that by serving this
king definitely he will earn money and therefore conducts /serves accordingly.
He fulfills his wishes and pleases him. In the same way the person desirous of
Moksha should first know the soul. Then he should have faith that certainly
this is the soul and by serving it I shall get rid of the karmas. Therefore he
conducts accordingly i.e. experiences and immerses within the soul. For attaining
the goal of karma free , pure , undifferentiated soul this is the only method;
there is no other way.
At
the time of experiencing the soul, there is a mix of various paryaya form
differentiating bhavas, even then with intelligence and differentiating
knowledge , he realizes and believes that this experiencing self is me. Thus
with the knowledge of the soul, he realizes that the soul is such only. At the same time with the differentiating knowledge
of the other bhavas, he is able to confidently realize his soul by conducting
accordingly. In this manner the goal of
the soul is attained. “ This is the only way- there is no other” –It is so
emphasized.
On
the other hand this bhagwan atma ( soul of the form of god) which is on the
nature of experience , is always accessible to all the jivas young and the
elderly in the form of experience, even so due to eternal bondage of karmas,
due to belief of oneness with the other
dravyas, i.e. without knowledge of reality, the ignorant jiva does not realize that “
the one who experiences is self”. Without the knowledge of the self , the
belief of the unknown is like horns of a
donkey , which means there is no belief at all. At the same time due to the
lack of differentiating knowledge with respect to other bhavas, and further
lack of experiencing the carefree soul, lack of conduct of the soul, he is not
able to attain the goal of the soul. In this manner the goal of the soul cannot
be realized. Which means that it cannot be done any other way- this is so emphasized.
Explanation : The goal of soul
can be attained with belief-knowledge-conduct only and no other means. Hence
firstly he knows the soul “as the one knowing , which is being experienced is
myself”. Then he develops belief in it because without knowing he cannot have
faith. In this manner by differentiating with all other bhavas and becoming
stationary within the self is the means to attain the goal. Because if he does
not know then he cannot have faith , then where can he concentrate upon ? Therefore
there is no other way- this is emphasized.
Same
is stated as kalash :
Shloka 20 : Acharya says that we continuously experience the
light of the soul. How is it ? – Which is characterized by infinite
indestructible consciousness. Why do we experience ? Because without this
experience there is no other means to attain the goal of the soul. – this is
the rule. How is this light of soul? In some aspect even after adopting three
forms, which has not given up its nature of singularity. And how is it ? It manifests
in pure form.
Explanation: Acharya
says that in certain aspect from the point of view of paryaya, it has three
forms, even then from the point of view of pure dravya , it has not discarded
its singular form, such is the infinite conscious form pure light of the soul
which we continuously experience. What it implies is that the people with right
belief should experience in the same way as he does.
Commentary : Now someone argues that the knowledge has
singleness with the soul and they are not different, hence soul has been
experiencing knowledge always, then why are we being taught to experience
knowledge ? Acharya replies that it is not so. Although soul has singleness
with knowledge, even so the soul does not experience knowledge even for a
moment. Because knowledge is generated only by Swayambuddhatva (by self) or
bodhitbuddhatva ( by teaching of someone else). Therefore either he should
realize by himself on kala-labdhi (on opportune moment) or by preaching of
someone else. Just as a sleeping person wakes up by himself or when someone wakes him up.
Here
the disciple enquires again- If it is so then before the awakening of the
knowledge can the soul be called ignorant, because till then he has been
ignorant only ? Acharya replies – It is true. Till then he is ignorant only.
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