Chapter 6 ( Samvar Adjikar) ( Gathas 181-192) –
Acharya
Amritchandra says that now Samvar enters the stage. Since eternal times the
asrava had been controlling the bhavas of the jiva luring him into the mire of
punya and pap karmas. Now the samvar has awakened who overcomes the asravas by
means of the flame of knowledge which is ever brilliant.
Kundakundacharya
describes firstly the means for samvar ( prevention of karma influx) as bheda gyan ( differentiating knowledge) in gathas
181-183. Here he introduces the term Upayoga which is the active
manifestation of knowledge-vision of soul in the form of attention. Here an
important rule is disclosed. The bhavas of knowledge have their foundation in
the soul substance and from this only the acts of knowledge can manifest. The
soul dravya only can support bhavas of
knowledge. To elaborate, the akash dravya is not supported by any other dravya.
We can easily understand that akash dravya is supported by akash only. In the
same way the bhavas of anger etc. are supported by pudgala dravya only. The bhavas of anger etc., eight types of
karmas, nokarmas etc. cannot manifest from the knowing nature. These bhavas of
anger etc. eight types of karmas, nokarmas etc. have the foundation in various
karmas accrued and they do not share the same physical space as that of
knowledge. They exist in a different dimension hence they do not encroach upon
the knowing nature of jiva. This exactly is the differentiating knowledge. Once
jiva realises it then jiva can focus his attention on his own nature without
getting perturbed by the fruition of karmas in various forms. This only is
called as Samvar.
Someone may think
that there may be other means for realisation of soul other than bheda-vigyan.
Such doubt is dispelled in gathas 184-185. Just as gold does not give up
its nature of being gold in spite of undergoing severe heat in furnace, in the
same way the gyani jiva does not give up his knowing nature in spite of
suffering fruition of various karmas. On the other hand the agyani jiva, not
knowing the nature of soul believes the ragas only to be soul. The gyani knows
that the fruition of karmas in anger etc. form is not his nature hence he does
not indulge in ragas of those forms and experiences the pure soul nature only.
This establishes that differentiating knowledge alone can lead to realisation
of pure soul.
But how do you
say that realisation of pure soul would result in samvar? This is answered in gatha
186.
The important
rule to remember is that out of bhavas of knowledge form, bhavas of knowledge
only are generated. Therefore the jiva who is experiencing the pure soul,
continues to experience the purity of soul. The bhavas of ragas etc. which
occur on fruition of previously bonded karmas, are now not generated and
therefore bondage of future karmas also does not take place. This precisely is
samvar. For the agyani the bhavas of ignorance lead to bhavas of ignorance
only. Hence he believes self to be
afflicted by raga-dwesha-moha. Therefore the fruition of previous karmas cause
generation of fresh bhavas of raga-dwesha and hence cause bondage of new
karmas. For him this cycle continues. Therefore the realisation of soul only
results in samvar.
This is further
elaborated in next three gathas 187-189. The fruition of
raga-dwesha-moha influence the soul in the form of shubha-ashubha yoga
activities of mind-speech-body of jiva. Firstly the jiva should prevent the soul
to be influenced by means of bheda gyan.
Then remaining in pure gyan darshan form manifesting in stationary posture,
giving up ownership of internal external possessions, concentrate upon the pure
soul form devoid of karmas-nokarmas. Contemplate and experience the same. In
this way only the jiva gets rid of influence of other dravyas and in short term
gets free from karmas. This is the procedure for samvar.
The sequence of
samvar has been described in gathas 190-192. Firstly the jiva has been accompanied with the pratyaya (elements) of Mithyatva, Avirati, Agyan and yoga since eternal times. These result in
jiva acting in raga dwesha moha form upon their fruition. These are asrava
bhavas which are responsible for accrual of new karmas. Karmas are cause for
nokarmas and nokarmas are cause for transmigration in the world. In this manner
the worldly cycle continues due to ignorance of differentiating knowledge of
soul with karmas and their bhavas. However when the soul realises the karmas to
be different from self and experiences the pure consciousness form soul by
means of differentiating knowledge then the delusions due to mithytava etc. do
not happen and the asrava bhavas do not occur. In the absence of asrava bhavas
new karmas do not accrue hence nokarma is also not accrued. In this manner the
worldly transmigration comes to an end. This is the sequence of samvar.
In the end
acharya again emphasizes that the samvar is attained only by means of bheda
vigyan hence that differentiating knowledge should be continuously practiced
and experienced till the knowledge is totally purified and knowledge become
stationary within own nature. It implies that it becomes so pure that the
Mithyatva etc. do not recur nor the bhavas of the jiva get corrupted again.
Lastly Acharya
Amritchandra declares the glory of Bheda-Vigyan. Whosoever have attained Siddha
hood till now is due to taking recourse to Bheda-Vigyan and those who are
bonded are because of lack of Bheda-Vigyan.
Thus Samvar exits
the stage.
Chapter 7 ( Nirjara Adjikar) ( Gathas 193-236)
-
Now Nirjara
enters the stage.
Simply speaking
the purity of soul realised with differentiating knowledge is Samvar and enhancement of the same purity by
continuously practice of experience of the same soul is Nirjara. Hence the root
cause of both processes is the same.
Nirjara is attained
in two forms namely dravya and bhava forms which are described in gathas
193-194. Firstly Acharya makes a startling disclosure that the enjoyments
of Samyakdrishti of conscious or non conscious entities are all nimitta for Nirjara.
The reason for this is that the Samyakdrishti is Gyani and he does not
have desires nor raga-dwesha-moha. He is aware that all these sensual pleasures
are other dravyas and on account of fruition of karmas only, he is united or separated
from them. Thus in principle he is not desirous of them since his objective is
that of experiencing the purity of soul. However due to weakness of his conduct
under influence of fruition of charitra moha karmas, he does engage into those
enjoyments albeit reluctantly. This is compared to the helplessness of a
patient who cannot endure the suffering of the disease and hence takes medicine
unwillingly. In the same way the Samyak drishti jiva does not consider those
enjoyments as desirable still he engages in them without corresponding raga
dwesha or moha. In such a situation, due
to absence of ragas the asrava of new karmas do not occur and therefore future
bondage of karmas does not happen. However the fruition of past karmas which resulted
in those enjoyments/sufferings does occur and those karmas are spent without
resulting in future bondage. Hence it is said that only Nirjara of those karmas
is attained. This dispersion of previous karmas on fruition is described as
Dravya Nirjara. At the same time the Samyak drishti jiva did not engage in
bhavas of raga-dwesha-moha on fruition of past karmas even though he
unwillingly enjoyed the results. This is known as Bhava Nirjara.
Therefore Acharya
Amritchadra lauds that surprising capability of Samyak drishti jivas that in
spite of enjoying fruition of karmas he
still experiences Nirjara.
The glory of such
knowledge is described by means of three examples given in gathas195-197.
Just as a Vaidya ( doctor) in spite of consuming poison does not die, in the
same way gyani jiva in spite of enjoying fruition of pudgala karmas does not
accrue future bondage. Here the Vaidya was not affected by the poison since he
had partaken its antidote beforehand, in the same way the gyani jiva does not
have affinity towards those enjoyment hence he does accrue bondage. The second
example is that of a person who consumes liquor with reluctance and hence is
unintoxicated. Here also his detachment enables him not to be afflicted by
liquor. The third example is that of a servant in the employ of a Seth in his
shop. The servant only conducts all the business of the shop as if he were the
owner while the Seth stays at home without engaging in any activity. Still the
Seth is responsible for all the loss or profit accrued while the servant is
not. In the same way the samyakdrishti engages in activities knowing them to be
fruition of karmas without any interest and therefore in spite of enjoying them
does not accrue karmas. On the other hand a Mithyadrishti may not engage in
actual pleasures but on account of his desires towards them, he would accrue
bondage.
The attitude of
the Samyak drishti towards various bhavas which he experiences in day to day existence
are described in Gatha 198-200. Firstly he knows that all the bhavas
which are generated by fruition of karmas in general are not that of his own
soul nature and he is only knowing natured soul. This way he discards them in
general. Further he identifies those bhavas specifically by naming them as
raga, dwesha, moha, anger, pride, deceit, greed etc. form as being result of
pudgala karma fruition and not being of his own knowing nature. Thus he
discards then specifically. In this
manner discarding the bhavas generated on account of other dravyas generally
and specifically he separates his own knowing nature as different from them and
immerses self into that knowing natured form.
At this juncture
Acharya Amritchandra adds a note of caution. Knowing that Samyakdrishti jivas
do not have bondage of karmas, some jivas with raga may pretend to be
samyakdrishti and feel proud. They behave promiscuously thinking that they do
not have bondage. Even though they may be practicing great vows and fasting, so
long as they have affinity towards other dravyas, they are Mithyadrishti only
since they are devoid of knowledge of soul and non-soul.
The same aspect
is highlighted in next two gathas 201-202 by questioning that how can a
jiva who is indulgent in ragas can be deemed to be Samyakdrishti? Here an
important point has been brought out that the jiva who does not know own soul,
cannot know non-soul also since the two are complementary to each other.
Therefore he does not the real nature of jiva or ajiva either. If he does not
know them then even though he may be practicing high conduct and fasting but he
believes ragas only to be the means for salvation. Hence he cannot be
samyakdrishti. In reality the Samyakdrishti anyway shuns ashubha bhavas and
even shubha bhavas are not treated as venerable by him. Although he practices
and indulges in shubha activities but he does not believe them as means for
moksha. His goal remains that of being
immersed in the pure soul only.
Now in gathas
203-206 Acharya cajoles people to experience knowledge only since that is
the means by which they can identify the soul. There are so many types of
bhavas which keep generating within the soul, but they are all extraneous,
corrupt and transitory. They do not represent soul. Knowledge is only the
permanent address of soul by which soul can be located. These are five types of
knowledges defined in scriptures as Matigyan (sensory knowledge) , Sruta gyan
(scritptural &logical), Awadhi gyan (telepathic knowledge), Manah paryaya
gyan (clairvoyance) and Keval gyan
(omniscience). In general people have the first two i.e. mati and sruta gyans
only. Even though these do not enable one to know soul directly, they enable
one to identify the soul. Just as clouds obscuring the sun do not destroy the
illuminating nature of sun in the same way the karmas obscuring the knowledge
do not destroy the knowing nature. Hence one can take recourse to knowledge in
general as the means to identify the soul so as to experience the soul. By such
meditation only karmas do not get bonded and nirjara is attained. An important
point is that the soul is like an ocean of knowledge within which different
waves are generated on account of karmas. One should not pay attention to those
waves since they lead to vikalpas but concentrate upon the knowing natured
ocean. In the same way one should not pay attention to knowledge in divided form
of different subjects of knowledge but focus upon the undivided knowing nature.
This is the means for experiencing the soul. One cannot attain this experience
in spite of indulging in various acts or practices. The only means is as
described above i.e. taking recourse to undivided knowing nature. By practicing
it only one can destroy the karmas leading to omniscience and Moksha. Once one
has experienced own soul then he does not need any further guidance. The
experience of soul is blissful beyond senses which cannot be described with
words. Such is the glory of Dhyan.
Now the attitude
of Gyani towards other dravyas is depicted in gathas 207-214. Once he
has experienced his own soul then why would he need any other dravya? He knows
his soul only to be his possession then he has no attachment towards other
dravyas which are anyway not his. He knows that if he undertakes ownership of
other dravyas then he would become one like them i.e. his knowing nature would
become of the nature of ajiva dravya. Therefore he does not desire ownership of
other dravyas. His attitude is that even if
the other dravya gets damaged or stolen or even destroyed, he would not
care for it. He knows that other dravya only is the owner of that dravya and
his own domain is his own soul. Believing the other dravya to be his own is a
form of ignorance. To disown that ignorance the Gyani jiva disowns the other
dravyas in general first and thus renunciates their possession. Further now he
identifies those individually also to give them up.
Firstly he
disowns possession of dharma (punya) since he is not desirous of it. He is
merely the knower of punya. Next he is
not desirous of adharma (pap) since he is merely knower of pap. In the same way
the gyani is not desirous of raga, dwesha, anger, pride, deceit, greed, karma,
nokarma, mind, speech, body, hearing,
eyes, smell, taste, touch etc. and he denounces possessions of them all.
Further he gives up possessions of Ahar (food) and drink since they are desires
which are generated on fruition of karmas. Though it is true that Munis do have
to partake food and drink but that is merely to protect their body as a means
to practice the Moksha marga. Hence he indulges in them without desire for the
same treating it as a disease which needs a medicine in the form of food and
drink. Primarily these observations are from the aspect of shuddha naya which
is the main underlining theme of
samaysar.
Thus
relinquishing all the other bhavas, the gyani jiva becomes possessionless and
remains in the form of knowing natured self. The same approach is further
strengthened by gyani in relinquishing possessions pertaining to all three
period of time. The same is depicted in gatha 215. The fruition of
karmas is of three kinds past, present and future. The past enjoyments are no
more possessions hence are ignored. Gyani has no interest in present enjoyments
since he knows them to be not his nature. Nor does he have desire for future
enjoyments. The reason for lack of desire for future enjoyments is described in
gatha 216 where it is told that bhavas are experienced in two ways. One
is Vedya ( bhava desired to experience) and Vedak (bhava being experienced).
These two do not occur at the same moment. When desire is there the experience
is not there. By the time experience is attained, the desire has been lost.
Hence knowing that Vedya and Vedak bhava do not occur together being
destructible, the gyani does not indulge in desire.
The state of mind
of the gyani jiva is depicted in gatha 217. The state of uncertainty due
to ignorance is described by the word ‘Adhyavasana’. The fruition of previously
bonded karmas result in generation of adhyavasana bhavas. Several are related
to the world and several are related to body. They lead to generation of bhavas
of raga-dwesha-moha etc. as well as those of pain and pleasures. The gyani does
not get attracted or repelled by them. He remains knower of them knowing his
nature to be just that. Therefore he does not accrue future bondage of karmas.
His attitude is aptly depicted in gathas 218-219 by comparing with gold.
Just as gold in spite of lying in mud does not get rusted, in the same way the
gyani jiva does not get affected by
karmas in spite of being surrounded by fruition of karmas. On the other
hand iron gets rusted lying in mud, in the same way the ignorant jiva
surrounded by karmas gets immersed in them. Thus agyani accrues bondage of
karmas while gyani does not.
An important
point has been now brought out in Gathas 220-223 that the soul which manifests
in knowledge form cannot be caused to manifest in ignorance form by another
dravya. Therefore jiva only is responsible for his bhavas and he should not
doubt that other dravya can make him accrue bondage. As a corollary to this
Acharya says that do not hesitate in enjoyment since it would cause bondage.
The bondage occurs purely depending upon one’s bhavas of ragas and ignorance
but not due to other dravya. For this reason only the chapter on Nirjara begins
with stating that the enjoyments of gyani are nimitta for nirjara.
Here example to conch
shell is quoted. The conch shell consumes various types of sentient, insentient
and mixed substances but still remains white, in the same way the gyani in
spite of enjoyment of sentient, insentient and mixed dravyas does not manifest
into agyan form. On the other hand the same conch shell when it gives up its
white nature and manifests into black form then it turns black. In the same way
when the gyani gives up his knowing nature and manifests into agyan form then
he becomes agyani. Nobody else forced him into it. Therefore every dravya is
responsible for his own destiny and there is no point in blaming other dravya
for own fault.
However Acharya
has cautioned again that it does not mean that one should indulge in enjoyments
thinking that other dravya cannot cause bondage. Afterall what is the reason
for indulging in enjoyment ? Is it not desire? If the desire to enjoy is there
then definitely he cannot be called gyani either. He is a culprit and
definitely he would accrue bondage. The one who does not desire only, does not
accrue karmas.
The same meaning
is depicted by an example in gathas 224-227. Just as in the world a
person serves the king for the purpose of livelihood. When he serves him well,
the king gives him various riches in return. In the same way the jiva serves
the karmas who give him different fruitions in return for enjoyments. On the
other hand if the person does not serve the king well then the king does not
reward him with riches for enjoyments, in the same way when Samyak drishti does
not serve karmas with objective of pleasures then karmas do not result in
fruition of such kinds. Here the implication is that the ignorant is desiring
for enjoyments and hence he serves and acquires karmas of such nature whereas
the gyani is not interested in enjoyments therefore he does not serve and accrue
bondage of such karmas.
However again
Acharya reminds that it does not mean that gyani does not do any deeds and he
is inert. Depending upon his spiritual level , his philosophical strength and
circumstances he does indulge in
activities and in accordance with weakness of his conduct he does accrue
bondage albeit of a smaller duration and intensity. However an agyani cannot be
a judge of those manifestations.
Continued……..
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