Gyan Goshthi ( Gems of Knowledge)…..01

 

Preface

This a compilation of the questions and their answers during the Tattva charcha with Shri Kanji swamy during the evening. This evening tattva charcha was a  daily routine in his life style in Songarh uninterruptedly. Since it did not have a specific subject, this was a suitable forum for him to reveal intricate mysteries of life. It was also used to clarify the doubts raised during the daily Pravachans. In fact several scholars used to come for clarifications of their doubts in these evening sessions.

These sessions were published in Atma Dharma from shri Todarmal Smarak bhavan Jaipur and later also compiled as book with Dr Hukum chand Bharill as editor . Very recently it has been republished by Shri Kunda Kunda Paarmarthika Trust Mumai.

The advantage in this Gyan  Goshthi is that a vast rage of subjects is covered without restrictions of following a specific book. Hence doubts of different varieties can be clarified by reading this book. In all it is a compilation of 674 questions are their answers in 18 categories.

An attempt has been made to translate it in English here in this blog for enabling own self exercise  for  better concentration and understanding.

 

1. Bhagwan Atma

1. Q: Why Bhagwan atma is called as gyan alone? You keep repeating ‘Bhagwan Atma…..Bhagwan Atma ‘. Kindly describe its nature.

A: Bhagwan atma is warehouse of infinite shaktis, godown of infinite gunas, root of infinite bliss, infinitely glorious, great substance beyond senses. It is called as Gyan alone also. “ Soul is gyan alone therefore it is not body, mind, speech and punya-pap form. It is not equal to paryaya of one samaya alone. It is gyan, darshan, akarya-karan, bhava, abhava etc. infinite shakti form.

What can I tell about your own house to thee? You have infinite shaktis and each shakti is infinitely capable. Each shakti is pervasive in infinite gunas. In each shakti there is flavour of infinite other shaktis. Each shakti is nimitta for other infinite shaktis. Each shakti has infinite paryayas which occur sequentially, hence they are sequential. Infinite shaktis stay together hence they are non-sequential.

In this way soul dravya is mass of non-sequential and sequential guna-paryayas. Dravya is pure and gunas are also pure. Hence by contemplating upon them the manifestation is also pure. “ I am gyan alone form substance” – with such Drishti, the manifestation of Jivatva shakti occurs in paryaya. Along with it gyan, darshan, bliss, akarya-karanatva etc. infinite paryayas spurt together – are revealed.

2. Q : What is meant by spurting ?

A: Dravya is substance having infinite shaktis . When one shakti manifests, then manifestation of infinite shaktis occur simultaneously – this is called as spurting .

3. Q: Whether Agyani should be told about the soul in the beginning itself?

A: In Gatha 8 of Samaysar Acharya has told  that ‘ soul is blissful’ for explaining soul to him. In the beginning itself he has not talked about the forms of island, ocean, lok etc. or told him to carry out Vritas ; instead he has told him to realise the Shuddha Atma. The person desirous of understanding has not understood Atma as yet, even then he is gazing with curiosity; he is told that the one who always remains in Darshan-Gyan-chairtra form, he is called Atma. In this way the Vyavahari Jivas are firstly explained Shuddha Atma only. How does one attain salvation getting rid of eternal bondage – this is told by Acharya to Agyani jiva.

4. Q: Calling Jiva as having body or raga is statement from aspect of Vyavahara , but can Jiva be called as one having Samyak Darshan?

A: Calling jiva as one having Samyak Darshan is also statement of paryaya. Jiva is dense mass of knowledge form. Samyak Darshan paryaya is one part of it, while jiva is Vigyan-Ghan (dense mass of knowledge) in all three periods of time.

5. Q: Samyak Darshan  and soul are differentiated form or undifferentiated form?

A: Samyak Darshan etc. pure paryaya and Atma are undifferentiated. Between raga and Atma there is differentiation of nature but Samyak darshan and Shuddha Atma are undifferentiated. The manifestation occurs in undifferentiated form. Soul by himself has manifested in undifferentiated form – there is no differentiation. Vyavahara Samyak Darshan is vikalpa form only, that is not one with Atma.

6. Q: Some places shuddha paryaya has been called as Atma. What is the implication of it?

A: In the Aling-grahan 20^th bol the Shuddha paryaya not touching Dhruva is called Atma, that is said so from  aspect of experience , since the experience of bliss is in manifestation, the trikaali (dravya) does not experience. Hence ‘ the one which is experienced is myself’ – this is told. The  subject of Samyak darshan is trikaali Dhruva Samanya which is the essence of all Tattvas. The substance is itself Dhruva form; with that as aim, Samyak Darshan is attained.

7. Q: Firstly gyan gets to be known or soul? What is the difference between the realisation of both?

A: Both get to be known together. Without aiming  towards soul, whose characteristics can the gyan be called? With aim towards soul the gyan became one with it , then soul became the objective and gyan its characteristics. In this way with characteristics and aim- both get realised together.

8. Q: If both are known together, then difference between Atma and Gyan becomes meaningless?

A: The difference is called as means in Upachar sense when oriented towards undifferentiated. Without aim towards undifferentiated the differentiation is really meaningless. While attempting undifferentiated the differentiation interferes in between but ignoring that differentiation form Vyavahara, one has to orient towards undifferentiated. Hence that differentiation is called Vyavahara means. Without Nishchaya the Vyvahara alone is useless. “ Firstly gyan was known  and then  soul was known.” – such is not the reality. So long as “ this is characteristics and this is the goal” – in this manner aim is towards the  differences of the two, till then vikalpa only is realised and not the soul. When by orienting towards soul the realisation of soul is carried out and it is experienced ; then aim is not towards differences of characteristics and the aim -  by becoming one in undifferentiated form the realisation is attained. The Vyavahara of differentiation is to highlight undifferentiated soul.

9. Q: If Soul nature is ocean of bliss then why a part of it is also not experienced at present.

A: In spite of soul being ocean of bliss, it has spirit of oneness with raga since eternal times. Hence even  part of sukh does not get revealed. Breaking the spirit of oneness with raga, if he differentiates with it then the part of sukh would be revealed out of the swabhava.

10. Q: How does one  reveal Prabhuta ( godliness) in paryaya.

A: You are God form untainted with ragas. Your godliness is merely knowing the generation of Kashaya. With spirit of  oneness with the Kashaya establishing its ownership is not your godliness. You are flawless substance – you are not tainted with Kashaya at all. Soul is always untainted with Kashaya. Just as sapphire jewel gets coloured due to image of others , in the same way Kashaya bhava – vibhava bhava come and go within the gyan ; but they do not enter within you , you are untainted. The vikalpas of Vrita etc. are attained but they are different from the nature of gyayak and are conjugate bhavas, not of the nature of Gyayak (knower) hence belong to different family , not own. You are Gyayak form untainted God. By believing in this godliness internally the godliness is revealed in the paryaya.

11. Q: Soul substance is indescribable. How can it be known?

A: The presently manifesting paryaya is explicit – revealed. How does it appear in paryaya? Does it originate from a substance or from empty space ? The wave originates from the water or does it come from empty space? In the same way the paryaya does not originate from empty space; but from indescribable substance which is shakti form. The Vyakta ( explicit) paryaya reveals Avyakta ( indescribable) soul shakti- it discloses its existence.

12. Q: ‘ Gyan is soul’ – why soul was identified by means of gyan by saying so? Is’nt the prime objective of jiva to attain bliss? 

A: For identifying soul ‘ Gyan is soul’ – this has been told. The reason is that gyan is explicit part – presently existent and the part pertaining to bliss is not revealed. Only perturbation is revealed. Hence with the explicit part of gyan only the soul is identified. By concentrating  upon the revealed part of gyan internally, the paryaya also gets purified like dravya and guna . The prime reason for identifying soul by means of  part of gyan is this only.

13. Q: In the invocation of Samaysar Sarva Vishuddha Gyan Adhikar, Acharya says that the dravya nature of soul is Shuddha-shuddha . What is the implication of using Shuddha term twice?

A: Firstly being different from other dravya it is Shuddha and secondly being different from Raga also it is Shuddha. It is distant from the vikalpas of bandh and moksha. Soul nature  is quite distant from all the paryayas of ekendriya to panchendriya; hence soul nature is Shuddha-Shuddha – completely Shuddha only. 

14. Q: What is the meaning of “I am Shuddha” ?

A: The carving in stone form Gyan bhava is extremely different from the nine tattvas – nara-narak etc. jiva’s vishesh, Ajiva, Punya, Pap, Asrava, Bandh,  Samvar, Nirjara, Moksha; hence “I am Shuddha”. Soul is described as totally different from the paryaya of Sadhak (practitioner etc.) It is different from body etc. and also different from punya-pap etc. Besides, the  carving in stone form gyayak bhava being totally different from the Vyavahara form bhavas of Shuddha pure paryaya of Samvar, Nirjara, Moksha, I am Shuddha. Here in this gatha of Samaysar by describing Atma to be totally different from the Vyavahara bhavas of pure paryaya of Samvar, Nirjara and Moksha, the Digamber saints have disclosed the inner secret . This subject is not available elsewhere. It is the fortunate for the world that such Vani has survived.

15. Q: “ Bhagwan Atma is Anand Swaroop (natured)” – in this way you describe the gunas of atma comprehensively , but where that Bhagwan has gone – kindly tell this.

A: Bhagwan is there where it is. But jiva is not aware of this Bhagwan, hence this does not appear in Drishti. By himself he is Bhagwan Swaroop Karan Paramatma – those who accept it in the heart, to them only he is Karan Paramatma. But to those who do not accept that I am Paramatma Swaroop , for them where is the Karan Paramatma? For him only raga and little knowledge is there. In those who have belief in Karan Paramatma , to them the karya form Samyak Darshan-Gyan- Charitra is revealed.

16. Q: Then what should Agyani do?

A: The Agyani should realise the soul by means of  true knowledge of substance nature first. This only is the real means for attaining Samyak Darshan. The Kriya Kand of Shubha raga is not real means.

17. Q: Lok is six dravya form and jiva becomes seventh dravya in that ?

A: Lok is dravya form only but being gyeya it is Vyakta (explicit) and the jiva knowing it is different from it. Hence in this context he is called as seventh dravya.

18. Q: The glory of Atma Dravya is special or that of  paryaya which observes the dravya?

A: The glory of Atma Dravya is special. The paryaya aims for dravya then moksha marg is initiated- from this aspect the paryaya is glorious. However the paryaya is of one samaya whereas the dravya has infinitely infinite times capability than paryaya- it is great Prabhu at all three periods of time. Hence glory of dravya is greater.

19. Q: In Niyamsar the Samvar-Nirjara-Moksha Tattva were not called as essence,  what is the secret behind it?

A: Soul alone is essence form in all Tattvas. Samvar, Nirjara and Moksha are called beneficial and essence form from the aspect of generation and revelation but in Niyamsar also they are not declared as essence form. The reason is that they are paryaya, destructible and momentary. The soul being indestructible Dhruva is essence form. Samvar etc. tattvas are destructible bhavas which are distant from indestructible Bhagwan Atma. Samyak Darshan Gyan Charitra veerya etc. bhavas are paryaya- destructible hence are not essence form. The indestructible Bhagwan Atma only being essence form is distant from these destructible bhavas. The Dhruva Bhagwan is close to paryaya- that alone being essence form is suitable of being aimed form and rest is all meaningless.

20. Q: Whose  characteristics is Upayoga ? Whom does it take recourse to? With whose recourse it is revealed? Due to which reason it is present and which reason it is not present ?

A: Upayoga is characteristics of soul. It does not take recourse to gyeya substances. With recourse to soul the upyoga is revealed and not by taking recourse to external substances. Soul does not take recourse to other substances at all. Even his Upayoga does not take recourse to external substances. Upayoga is characteristics taking recourse of  soul as the aim. With recourse to other substances i.e. with recourse to Deva-Guru-JinaVani the upayoga of soul is not revealed. The existence of upayoga is not due to gyeya substances but it is due to soul of whom upyoga is characteristics. It is not that if he  reads more, listens more then shudhhi would be enhanced. The enhancement of Shuddhi is definitely with recourse to soul only.

21. Q: What is the meaning of Seemandhara ? Whether soul is Seemandhara?

A: Seemandhara means the substance has boundaries. Prabhu! You are having boundaries , it is your limitation that you do not enter into raga , do not indulge in raga, remain confined in trikaal Kashaya free, raga free nature. Therefore the soul, holder of restrictions and boundaries, is himself Seemandhara.

22. Q: In Dravya nature there is no corruption then why Karan Paramatma has been called looter of powerful enemy army of the form of Pap?

A: This is from aspect of paryaya. In paryaya, ragas etc. bhavas are present which do not get generated by orienting towards own nature, hence in such conditions they are called as destroyed- as figure of speech. In Dravya nature there is no raga etc. bhava or any paryayas of Samyak darshan, Samyak Charitra, Keval Gyan or Siddha etc. World-Moksha are games of paryaya  while in Dravya nature there are no paryayas. The Trikaal Dravya nature is singular form which does not relinquish or accept anything. Gyayak Bhava is permanent only. Digamber saints enjoying the taste of bliss beyond senses by eliminating three kashayas have described internal matter in extraordinary way. Such information is not there with anyone else in Bharat Kshetra other than the Digamber saints. They say that let all jivas attain sukh and let none may experience dukh , let all jivas attain salvation since each soul is salvation natured.

23. Q: With recourse to Trikaal soul dravya only, dharma is attained- what is the reason for it?

A: Trikaal soul dravya only is the prime substance. That only is occupied with anand; hence taking recourse to trikaal dravya, the state of dharma of bliss form in  paryaya is revealed.

24. Q: Value of Dhruva  is more or the experience of Anand in paryaya?

A: The value of Dhruva is more. The paryaya of Anand is for one samaya only whereas Dhruva is treasury of anand.

25. Q: If dravya is recognised by the paryaya then paryaya becomes superior to dravya?

A: Although the dravya is recognised by paryaya, even then the paryaya is of one samaya only. Dravya is mass of infinitely infinite paryayas, which alone is glorious. Although paryaya of one samaya also has glory that in one samaya it knows all the substances of three kaal and three loks- this is true. Even then dravya is mass of infinite times paryayas; hence compared to paryaya the glory of dravya is infinite times. When the glory of dravya is realised then in paryaya the anand is experienced.

26. Q: The Anand lying in dravya is not utilised for enjoying whereas the anand of paryaya is enjoyed- in such state the value of paryaya should be more?

A: The anand enjoyed in paryaya is for one samaya  and dravya is mass of trikaal anand. From  dravya the stream of anand flows at every moment. Hence dravya is ocean of anand. The value of ocean of anand is more.

27. Q: You say that paryaya of gyan knows the Dhruva and Dhruva himself does not know anything then is Dhruva blind?

A: Dhruva is not blind but is Great Prabhu. It is mass of shaktis capable of knowing Dhruva . Paryaya is explicit -revealed hence it knows Dhruva.

28. Q: Dravya is Shuddha natured – this is alright but who is engaged in manifestations of raga-dwesha-moha-dukh-sukh  and who enjoys them?

A: Jiva only engages in raga-dwesha-moha manifestations and enjoys sukh-dukh and happiness-sorrow. But these are vibhava manifestations ; afflicted bhavas. Hence from aspect of jiva’s nature they are not of the nature of jiva- it is said that in the experience of Shuddha nature the vibhava is not experienced hence from aspect of nature the vibhava is different from the soul.

29. Q: The nature of soul is gyan then why raga is carried out?

A: Forgetting own nature believes other to be own, hence engages in raga with others. With intellect influenced with nimitta, with buddhi of oneness with ragas etc. and with buddhi of paryaya, raga is carried out. In the dravya-guna of soul there is no capability of carrying out raga, but due to capability of corruption in paryaya, raga manifests.

30. Q: In the soul both Nitya and Anitya swabhava are together. What is the meaning of Anitya swabhava ? Whether corrupted bhava is also anitya swabhava of soul ?

A: The soul remaining permanent keeps manifesting. The corrupted state of soul is world and the pure state is Moksha. Body is incidental, it is not your nature and momentary corruption is also not your nature. The experience of trikaal swabhava is your nature. In soul Anitya swabhava is permanent  but corrupted paryaya does not remain always hence it is not really anitya swabhava of soul. The paryaya of gyan which occurs at every moment is the anitya swabhava of soul. The paryaya of gyan at every moment keeps always generating , that is anitya swabhava of soul.

31. Q: Soul is known by means of senses- if this is accepted then what is wrong?

A: Soul is known by senses- it is not so. Since the soul is omniscience natured. If it is accepted that soul is known by senses then it contradicts the omniscient nature of soul and omniscient is also contradicted. Swabhava of knowing belongs to conscious soul and not that of non-conscious senses. The gyan of omniscient is beyond senses only and it does not have recourse to senses at all. If it is accepted that senses have the capability of knowing the soul then it clearly disrespects the omniscient nature of soul and this is the greatest objection.

32. Q: When soul and gyan are undifferentiated then why they are differentiated as aim and characteristics.

A: Gyan is self established entity and by means of gyan the soul has been identified. People know the gyan by means of own experience. Stomach aches and head aches- who knows this? Known by gyan? Hence gyan is known but agyani by means of gyan identifies others only. Hence that gyan is oriented towards self so as to identify the soul , the soul and gyan are explained by means of  differentiation of aim and characteristics. With the gyan which is known the soul which is unknown has been identified.

33. Q: Soul dravya is pervasive in all the paryayas – does it mean that soul is pervasive in corrupted paryaya also?

A: Yes! In corrupted paryaya also for that one samaya the soul is pervasive. But the one who decided so , he does not have only corrupted bhava in paryaya but Sadhak (practitioner) bhava is also there. Since ‘the corrupted bhava is not due to karma i.e. the karma is not pervasive within it , in that the soul dravya alone is pervasive’ – the one who decided this , he has not lost the realisation of dravya even at the time of corruption i.e. ‘in paryaya dravya only is pervasive.’ – the one who   decides this he does not have pervasiveness in corruption alone but also in samyaktva etc. pure paryayas.

34. Q: “ The shakti of Keval Gyan” and “Dharma of revelation of Keval Gyan”- what is the difference between the two?

A: The jiva in whom Keval Gyan is going to be revealed, in that jiva the dharma of keval gyan revelation is always there. The shakti and dharma are two different things. The shakti of keval gyan exists in abhavya jiva also but he does not have dharma of revelation of keval gyan. In Abhavya only shakti form swabhava exists but in him the  keval gyan  paryaya is not going to appear anytime – this is also his nature.

35. Q: In body form temple the Bhagwan Atma is Pratyaksha (explicit) at all times , then why is is not seen at this time?

A: This is Pratyaksha from aspect of shakti. The one who directs Drishti towards it, to him it is Pratyaksha. It is pure in all three periods of time and Pratyaksha in all three periods of time. Its form does not have vikalpa of charity-compassion. The one who wants to make is Pratyaksha, to him it is Pratyaksha only. Directing the  part of present knowledge towards Trikaali (dravya) it is Pratyaksha only.

36. Q: The Jiva does not have Sthan (states) of happiness-sorrow, then to whom do they belong?

A: In the prime nature of Jiva there is no corruption, hence the states of corruption are called as that of pudgala karma.

37. Q: The Atma has infinite shaktis. In them there would be some shakti wherein the soul carries out karya (deed) of other dravya? Just as someone takes one cow for grazing then along with him 3-4 other cows are also taken for grazing. In the same way if soul along with doing karya of self, carries out karya of body etc. then what is the harm?

A: Listen! In soul there are infinite shaktis. They carry out their complete karya and keep differentness with respect to other dravya. The other dravya is wallowing outside the soul  and soul does not have pervasive-pervaded bhava in other dravyas. Hence soul is incapable of carrying out karya of body , gyanavarana etc. other karmas and other dravyas.

38. Q: Is there dukh in the swabhava of soul?

A: The Naraki of Narak does not have smell of sukh of swarga, the Deva of swarga does not have smell of dukh of Narak, Paramanu does not have smell of pain, sun does not have smell of darkness and sukh swabhava of soul does not have smell of worldly dukh.

39. Q: Kindly explain the real form of Gyata-Drishta ( knower-seer) ?

A: Consciousness is characteristics of soul and consciousness is gyan-darshan form. Punya-pap both are different from swabhava of soul. Soul is Gyata-Drishta (knower-seer). Just looking at others is not called as Gyata-Drishta , but recognising own gyayak (knower)- darshak (seer) nature, remaining steady in the same is the Gyata-Drishta nature. ‘ Being Gyata-Drishta we have to do other’s work’- this belief is that of Mithya Drishti since soul cannot do any karya of others. Knowing own soul by the gyan-darshan swabhava and remaining steady in the same only is the means for Moksha.

Continued…..