Global Perspective on the philosophy of soul Part 2 (concluding part)

[Peace]

Jai Jinendra
Acharya Kund Kunda and Samayasara
In all the earlier accounts of history, one could notice the academic
flavour in dealing with soul. The philosophers have been founding
theories and hypotheses about soul. Jainism possibly differs from such
endeavour. In Jainism, it is not merely an academic exercise satiating
one’s intellectual appetite. Tirthankars call for investment of faith
in the existence of soul. The eternal existence of soul is an article
of faith in Jainism. Then only, one can make spiritual progress. Once
you have that unflinching faith, then you must put all efforts to
acquire the true knowledge of that substratum. With these two
faculties of faith and knowledge, you mend your ways. This is in
essence, the Jainism.
Acharya Kunda Kunda is hailed in the lineage of Bhagwan Mahavira and
Gautam Ganadhara for the simple fact that he resurrected the falling
standards in Sramana of his times. The munis started counting the 28
mulgunas as an accountant would make entries in his book rather than
leading the ascetic life in unison with these attributes. The
gunasthanas, marganasthanas and jivasthanas have engaged their minds
in large part rather than pursuing the true path of the soul. The
sacred book Samayasara is addressed to those munis who are otherwise
equipped with the fine art of renunciation, vairagya and brahmacharya.
It is meant to boost their progress. It is a guide to them. The faith
in the substance of this book is at best the prescription for the
laymen who are not yet ready to lead such austere life.
It is said that Acharyashri Kunda Kunda was born in a village in
Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh in the Sharvari year Magha month
shukla panchami in 108 B.C. He became a bala brahmachari at the age of
11 and became a nirgranth at the age 33 years. He became pontiff head
at the age of 44 and continued in that post for next 51 years 10
months and 15 days. He invited death at the age of 95 years 10 months
and 15 days. His end coincided with 12 B.C. According to
archaeological inscription found at Sravanabelagola, he attained
charana riddhi by which he could remain suspended in the air four
inches above the ground.
Acharyashri Kunda Kunda named this book as Samaya Pahuda (please see
gatha no. 1 and 515, the first and last verses). Samaya pahuda is the
tenth chapter by the very name in the fifth Purva called Jnanpravada
in 12th anga of Jinavani. By naming this book as well as invoking the
name of Sruta Kevali, Acharyashri has confirmed the conformity of its
content with that of Jinavani and thus it is an authoritative Word of
Tirthankar. This is further reinstated by the usage of Arhat
pravachana avayavasya (= it is an organ of Jinavani) for the first
gatha by the Sanskrit commentator Acharya Shri Amrutchandra. The term
“Samayasara” occurs in three gathas viz. 142, 144 and 413. The views
that karma binds the soul and does not bind the soul are the domains
of naya. Samayasara is beyond the pales of naya (gatha 142). Those who
approach the soul as the seamless embodiment of Right faith and
knowledge beyond the realms of viewpoints alone experience the soul
(verse 144). Those who cling to their external forms, be they ascetic
or laity, do not know the essence of soul (gatha 413). This book is
borne out of his personal fact to face experience with the purer soul.
We must bear in mind of all this important fact in availing the
message of this book. Samayasara is a guide for this unique experience
and not for discussion. That is the reason that language is a poor
substitute. He uses caution to ward of wrong message or confusion
borne out of other me-too-like schools. Such references are seen in 23
gathas.
The language of the book is Jain shauraseni and he can be credited to
be the first author of this padya meter of verses. Analysis of the
meter of the verses reveals that there are 166 gathas containing a
single jagan usage whereas 109 gathas contain two of them. According
to metric grammar, such usages signify appropriate pleasantness to the
readers. The errors crept in copying over a period of time do not
permit the metric analysis of other gathas. However one should carry
out such analysis making use of available copies. I learn that one
should read Samayasara with certain musical tones. It is advised to
read the first pada as steadily as the swan swim, the second pada in
the gallop of a lion, the third in movement of an elephant and the
last in the movement of a serpent. I must admit my ignorance about the
proper usage of these examples. However, one thing is certain that
while reading these verses one should maintain calmness free of any
anxiety or angst. Such a cool mind breeds Right knowledge. In fact
Acharyashri advocates such an approach in gatha no. 15 “One who views
the soul with unlimited coolness of mind as one unbound, untouched and
alien to others knows the entirety of Jina sasanam”.
The Jaina metaphysics
According to Jainism, there are two distinct substances in any animate
being. One is the soul which is knowledge-embodiment and formless. The
other one is matter which is unintelligent and has form, taste,
colour, smell. Matter is driven by attractive and repulsive forces.
Both soul and matter are eternal, never created nor would be
destroyed. Both undergo dynamic transformations within themselves
without loss of their intrinsic properties. From beginningless time,
both soul and matter “live together” in terms of certain space-points.
It is like two people sharing a room. Strangely this living together
has been mistaken as a single entity by the very soul which is
otherwise intelligent. This lack of distinction on the part of the
soul is said to be delusion or moha. Deluded soul has assumed the
material expressions such as attraction and repulsion as likes and
dislikes of its own. Matter is not a single entity but a collection or
combination of many atoms. At any given time, some atoms leave and
some other atoms join this material matrix. The deluded soul grieves
at the loss of some materials and gets elated at their accumulation
etc. There is a genetic relationship between one’s kith and kin. The
deluded soul thus makes differentiation of some people as its own and
others as strangers. The society created by the assembly of deluded
souls has its own set of nomenclature, rules and regulations. Thus we
have a parallel world of deluded souls called samsara. The identity
with matter through bondage limits the expression of intelligent soul.
The real freedom lies in the liberation from bondage. A point to be
noted here is that never these two distinct substances, soul and
matter exchanged and would never exchange their distinct qualities.
The vocabulary and the language of physical world such as doer,
enjoyer etc is alien to pure soul. Both the substances are independent
but operate through mutual inspirations called nimitta naimittika
relationship. What is this mutual inspiration? Let me take an example.
On a rainy day, a person returning from a shop sees another going with
his umbrella. He suddenly remembers that he has left his umbrella in
the shop and returns back to pick it up. In this instance, neither of
them met nor exchanged a glance or a word but the inspiration worked
on its own. The deluded soul confuses this relationship to be the
cause and effect. This confusion leads to unreal assumption of
doership and ownership etc.
Modern physicists are capable of identifying the presence of hydrogen
and helium etc in the sun through the spectral analysis of solar
radiation. Similarly, an enlightened soul can distinguish soul from
non-soul matter from proper analysis of the messages coming form a
bonded soul. He or she would ignore tone of anger in a conversation
but would focus only on the message of the spoken word. We need to
develop such a faculty of discriminative knowledge called bhed vigyan.
The core message of Samayasara
Acharyashri lays down in simple words the philosophy of this entire
book in the second gatha: “The soul synonymous with or immersed or in
unison with the righteousness of faith, knowledge and conduct is said
to be in its own nature (swa samayam). When it is positioning itself
with matter is said to be straying out (para samayam)”. All the
subsequent gathas elaborate this core philosophy and explain what is
the domain of the soul and that of matter in terms of spiritual,
physical and psychological expressions. Since the subject matter is
tough, hitherto unknown and never-before experienced, he makes use of
simple examples form daily life to drive home the point. There are 37
examples spread over 76 gathas. The Jains are familiar with seven
principles (tatva), nine padartha and eight limbs of samyag darshan
which Acharyashri make use of them to distinguish the positions of
both samaya. Nischaya naya or experiencing the soul directly without
any agent of words or images is the message of this sacred book. Since
both absolute (nischaya) and practical (vyavahara) viewpoints are two
important tools of Jain philosophy, the references to naya occur in
24 gathas (I-16, 28, 29; II - 8, 10, 18, 21, 22, 29; III - 15, 16, 29,
30, 38, 39, 40, 73; VIII - 36, 40; X – 17, 46, 53, 58 & 107).
Vyavahara naya according to him is only a tool to reconcile with the
state of ignorance or avidya and a language to explain the same to the
beginners. Vyavahara naya is not absolute but of limited validity
(gatha no. 11). Similarly, the 14 gunasthanas, 14 marganasthanas etc.
are the loci to identify the mundane souls in the universe. One
should not devote too much of time in understanding these details at
the expense of the pursuit of swasamaya. Punya and paapa are two faces
of same coin viz karma which ensures bondage. Punya is also bondage as
paapa is. One should instead concentrate only on the soul’s quality of
seer and knower in a dispassionate way. That alone would end the
bondage.
Selected verses
The soul is unique, unbound, untouched, independent, unperturbed and
uncomplicated. Such a view is the true view (gatha no. 14). I am
alone; unadulterated super-consciousness of vision and knowledge; and
formless. I don’t have even an atom of matter or other substances in
me (gatha no. 38). For this reason, the soul is devoid of any flavour,
form, smell, sound but an embodiment of consciousness or intelligence.
It cannot be represented truly by any image (gatha 11 ch. 2). I should
keep reminding myself “I am alone, verily pure, unattached super-
consciousness; by such attitude and behavior, I clean off impure
thoughts and behaviour” (gatha 3:5). The impurities in our thoughts,
words and acts are moha, avidya and ignorance (gatha 3:21). They in
turn whip off polarised views of likes and dislikes. Such polarity
leads to heat and tension called anger, ego, conceit and greed.
The function or expression of soul does not lie in passions. The eight
types of karma or the grosser forms like body and limbs are not a part
of the intelligence of the soul. It is a myth that anger or conceit
can solve anything or only through body, the soul can survive (gatha
6:1 to 3). Radiation of gold gives out only gold rays. Pure knowledge
only radiates intelligence but ignorance breeds ignorance (Gatha
3:60).
The talisman given by the author: Attachment to others leads to
bondage whereas detachment leads to Independence or Liberation. This
is in essence the Jinavani. Please do not get attached with karma.
(gatha 4:6). Once you know and live with this talisman, all activities
in the domain of karma such as “sensual enjoyment” leads to their
withering (gatha 7:1). This is the true art of living.
Pray, install your Self in the path of liberation, immerse your Self
in the path of liberation, live your Self in the path of liberation
and DO NOT TRESPASS for your Self-sake (gatha 412).
MICCHAMI DUKKADAM
Peace

[anant soul]

JAi Jinendra!

Thanks for posting the valuable article on Samaysara.In depth explanantion of philosophy will prove helpful for new readers.

The effort of spreading JInavani among ignorants on net deserves appreciaition.

Regards.

Anantsoul