सम्यग्दर्शन, ज्ञातादृष्टाभाव साधना शिविर Samyak Darshana, Jnata-Drishta-Bhava Sadhana Shivir A Shivir to Awaken the Fundamental Knowing-Seeing Disposition of the Soul
Manish Modi
सम्यग्दर्शन, ज्ञातादृष्टाभाव साधना शिविर
Samyak Darshana, Jnata-Drishta-Bhava Sadhana Shivir
A Shivir to Awaken the Fundamental Knowing-Seeing Disposition of the Soul
http://www.navelgazing.net/2018/02/samyak-darshana-jnata-drishta-bhava.html
Speakers
Jitendra Shah & Vallabh Bhanshali
This Shivir was held on 17 - 19 November, 2017 at the Patkar Hall in Mumbai. Organised by Satya Vigyan Foundation & Shrut Ratnakar Trust, this was a three day shivir on Samyaktva. There were two speakers who explored the meaning of samyaktva in different ways.
Dr Jitendra Shah is a prominent scholar of Jainism and heads the LD Institute of Indology
Mr Vallabh Bhanshali is a well known financial management guru, and a Vipassana saadhak for the past four decades
The three day seminar began on a positive note. Mr Bhanshali swiftly outlined what both speakers were going to cover in the three days, and where they were coming from. Between the two of them, they planned to give the participants of the shivir an integrated understanding of Samyaktva.
He explained that he was going to share the experiential aspect of Samyaktva with the participants of the shivir, while Dr Shah was going to explore the conceptual, theological and philosophical contours of the term.
What is Samyaktva?
Samyaktva is the ability to see things exactly as they are. It is also known as ‘samkit’, and ‘samyagdarshana’ and occupies a central place in the Jain path. Samyaktva has been translated differently by different scholars. Some standard English translations of the term along with the names of the scholars who use them, are as under:
Correct Attitude ~ Paul Dundas
Correct View ~ Paul Dundas
Enlightened Perception ~ Manish Modi
First Awakening ~ Padmanabh Jaini
Orientation Towards Spiritual Growth ~ Hermann Kuhn
Proper Insight ~ Kristi Wiley
Proper View of Reality ~ Kristi Wiley
Rational Perception ~ Duli Chandra Jain
Right Faith ~ A Chakravarti, Muni Mahendrakumar, Nalini Balbir, Kristi Wiley
Right Perception ~ JL Jaini, TK Tukol, TU Mehta, AK Bhattacharya
Right Worldview ~ John Cort
True Insight ~ Padmanabh Jaini
We must bear in mind that all these translations are right from a certain viewpoint. A translator expresses the original text in another language, as per his own perception. The translator's understanding informs his writing. Also, the translator has to keep the context, the audience and the platform in mind while making the translation. So he might translate the same term differently in different contexts. His purpose is to convey the meaning of the term in the most accurate manner possible within a particular contextual framework.
In the shivir, Mr Bhanshali made it clear that from the seeker’s perspective, samyaktva {enlightened perception} and satya {the truth} are the same.
Truth is the essence of the seeker’s quest. But how does one fulfil that quest?
A Refined Understanding of Samyaktva
Religious insights are a result of direct experience. One could master the theory. But the deepest insights are available only to those who have accomplished self-actualisation. This was the crux of the shivir and the focal point of Mr Bhanshali’s discourses.
Both speakers stayed true to their remit and expanded on the theoretical and experiential aspects of the samyaktva respectively. They were in synchronicity, ensuring that there was no repetition or contradiction, and that the audience was not subjected to boredom.
Dr Shah had the daunting task of explaining an esoteric term to an audience which was made up largely of devout novices. In three days, he worked tirelessly to ensure that the audience left with a far better comprehension of samyaktva than they had before they attended the shivir.
Mr Bhanshali had the even more difficult task of helping the audience experience something that they were not even confident of understanding. He accomplished this by leading the audience through Aristotelian questioning, answering their queries with deftness and surety, and then facilitating his audience’s tryst with the experiential side of religion.
Before embarking upon the experiential session, Mr Bhanshali asked his audience if they would like to experience the detachment that has been described in Jain scriptures as the acme of spiritual accomplishment. The audience acquiesced in one voice!
On the following day, the audience was delighted to find in their midst three senior practitioners of vipasssana:
Mr Shyamsundar Taparia
Ms Neha Shroff
Mr Ravi Saxena
The morning session of the second day was the highlight of the shivir. Mr Taparia guided the entire audience into experiencing the peace that comes from focusing entirely on breath intake. He helped the participants realise that through observing one’s breath, one could reach hitherto unthinkable levels of awareness and spiritual insight.
A tape recording of Vipasssana Guru Goenkaji was played where he gave clear instructions on how to practise anapanaasati, the meditational practice found to be ideal for attaining the seminal knowing-seeing disposition of the soul. The ten minute session gave the audience a brief glimpse into the inner harmony that is intrinsic to each soul. It helped us realise how we could deepen our own experience of the inner workings of our consciousness.
The session was followed by a question and answer session where the audience was free to seek answers from the three senior vipassana teachers. Members of the audience took advantage of this and received honest and insightful answers.
What I Learnt from this Shivir
The journey of samyaktva requires the seeker to cover the distance between gross and subtle.
The Shramana knows that there is no divine entity who is suddenly going to appear before him and offer him samyaktva on a platter. It is possible to attain samyaktva through discipline and sustained hard work.
From the doctrinal point of view, the seeker has to attain granthi-bheda {destruction of biases} in order to attain samyaktva in its fullness. Granthi-bheda can only be attained when the seeker has accomplished apurva karana {self-actualisation}. So the seeker’s task is to attain apurva karana, the first milestone on the Jain path of purification. To progress far on this path, the seeker must never lose sight of the fact that his search is the search for the truth. As such, it must not be fettered by compromise, shortcuts, and intellectual dishonesty.
The seeker has to necessarily become a satyaanveshi {explorer of the truth} and satyaabhilashi {desirous of the truth}. This is why Mr Bhanshali kept reminding the audience, “Look at your actions with honesty and do not delude yourself. If your efforts are third class, do not expect to get a first class.”
Samyaktva = Satya {truth} + Satyanubhava {the experience of truth}
The Shramana path, followed by both Mahavira and Buddha among others, has three prerequisites:
1. Samyatkva {enlightened perception}
2. Adivyata {lack of divinity}
3. Svaparishrama {own efforts}
Ultimate Reality transcends caste, creed, religion, sect, gender, race, ethnicity, etc. It is beyond these man made barricades. It has a wisdom (viveka) of its own.
The seeker’s journey is a lonely one. He has to rise above the herd mentality. His quest requires the seeker to walk on the edge of the sword. He has to be vigilant at every step.
He is the master of his own journey, only his his own experience and conduct can take him forward on this quest.
The seeker shall have to develop the ability of looking at himself from a neutral point of view. The way a detached witness would look at a person or an event (sakshi bhava). The truth cannot be discovered without developing the sakshi bhava.
What distinguishes us humans from other living beings? Our ability to think for ourselves. The fact that we can think beyond food and procreation makes us superior to beasts.
We must understand the futility and inevitability of samsara {transmigration}. Samsara is that which keeps moving forward. The non-vigilant soul remains stuck in samsara, experiencing tiny peaks of joy amid unending stretches of sorrow.
Therefore, we must distinguish between the means and the end. At times, we become so attached to the means that we forget the purpose behind them and ignore the ultimate goal of liberation.
One has to rigorously remain focused on reality. One must use self-control and penance as the means to develop discipline and focus. One has to beware of indolence and passion, both of which are impediments to spiritual growth.
We must never forget the grief caused by bondage and the sheer joy of freedom.
We have to realise that mindless action, knowledge without conduct and loud exhibitionist behaviour earn us no merits. There is nothing to be gained by showing off.
The wise person ponders over what ails him. Is it circumstances that harm him, or his own expectations?
What is darshana {perception}? To see with the eyes.
What is samyak darshana {enlightened perception}? To see with the soul. It is comprehensive and error free.
There are three categories of knowledge:
1. Vishaya Pratibhasa - Incorrect Understanding, brought on by delusion
2. Atma Parinati - Spiritual fulfillment, brought on by samyaktva
3. Tattva Samvedana - Realisation of the Ultimate Truth, brought on by the cessation of desire
There is a deep underlying connection between knowing and seeing. Knowledge and perception, when accompanied by detachment lead to the shedding of karmas from the soul. Hence, it is essential to practise the knowing-seeing disposition of the soul. And this is a constant process. It cannot be done in fits and starts. In fact, constant effort is a necessity.
Freedom from the cycle of transmigration is the highest possible goal of human life. It is the greatest gift you can give someone.
Donate food—You have helped someone for a day
Donate clothes—You have helped someone for a few months
Spare someone’s life—You have helped him live his natural lifespan
Share knowledge—You have helped him over several lives
Help someone attain samyaktva—You have helped him attain victory over birth and death
Samyaktva is attained with great difficulty. This is because of our Mohaniya karmas {delusion causing karmas}. As long as delusion causing karmas are in ascendance, we are unwilling to even listen to the word ‘dharma’. The path of purification holds no appeal for one who is afflicted by delusion causing karmas. These karmas manifest themselves in two ways:
1. Darshana Mohaniya karmas {perception deluding karmas}
2. Caritra Mohaniya karmas {conduct deluding karmas}
Darshana Mohaniya karmas cloud our perception and restrict our ability to see reality. Caritra mohaniya karmas hold us back from the path of right conduct.
Samyaktva requires a seamless focus on the truth. If one loses one’s way and starts advocating untruths, one loses one’s samyatkva. In the absence of samyaktva, even the best and most appropriate knowledge and conduct cannot save the soul from endless transmigration.
Jainism, and in fact all religions strongly advocate samyama {self-control} and tapa {penance}. Mahavira expanded on tapa and explicated it as the shedding of aasakti {attachment}. Which means, the seeker cannot even get attached to tapa itself! Samyama and tapa are essential for attaining victory over our passions and desires.
Jainism categorises tapa as sthula {external} and sukshma {internal}. The external tapas are important as they are the gateway to internal tapas. Tapas help us conquer the basic sensual nature of the body. Left to itself, the body loves to rest. Tapas discipline both, the body and the mind. The acme of tapa is to remain unperturbed in the face of dire adversity.
Equanimity is the true nature of the soul and it is attained by the perfected seeker who remains calm in all situations as he has freed himself from the clutches of moha {delusion}, raga {attachment} and dvesha {aversion}.
Apart from delusion, there are two other factors which hold us back from attaining samyaktva:
1. Desire for sensual pleasure
2. Desire for material wealth
Both these desires impede the seeker’s progress. Sensual desire in particular, is difficult to give up. In our past lives, we have partaken of all kinds of sensual pleasures. And yet, we desire them again and again. Delusion causes us to chase sensual delectation instead of pursuing liberation. This is why, delusion is said to be the lord and master of all karmas.
How can the seeker begin his journey?
1. By understanding right from wrong
2. By knowing who his enemies are:
Moha {delusion}, mithyatva {false understanding}, raga {attachment} and dvesha {aversion}
3. By imbibing Paramartha-Rasikata {enjoyment in seeking the True Path}by getting rid of selfishness, envy, slothfulness and sensual indulgence
4. By developing the Shuddha Caitanya Samvedana {Experience of Pure Consciousness} by not identifying with the body, because samyaktva is the actual experience of pure consciousness
There is a great deal more. It is difficult to express everything that I learnt by attending this three day shivir. Sufficient to say that it was an intellectually and spiritually uplifting experience.
Salient Features of this Shivir
The expertise of the speakers
Their commanding presence and flawless oratory
Strictly non-sectarian approach
Unrelenting focus on the subject at hand
Unequivocal emphasis on the quest for the truth
Clear communication in Hindi/Gujarati
Immense patience and enviable stamina of the speakers
Lectures enhanced by audiovisuals
Audience participation encouraged where appropriate
Well planned breaks, excellent meals, comfortable seating, and pin drop silence during sessions
Conclusion
This was a well organised shivir where attendees like myself walked away with a deeper and more substantive understanding of samyaktva and the method of harnessing a simple act like watching one’s breath to attain meaningful insights into the inner working of the mind, in order to lessen the burden of attachment and aversion which vitiates our lives.
I managed to attend all three days because my son had a post-examination break in his college, so he could take care of the bookstore while I attended the shivir. I gained so much at the shivir that I am certain to attend the next one they organise in Bombay.
I came to this shivir thinking of Dr Shah as a pandit and Mr Bhanshali as a saadhak. By the time I left, I knew that Dr Shah too is a saadhak and Mr Bhanshali is also a pandit.
I am thankful to both speakers, and to Satya Vigyan Foundation and Shrut Ratnakar Trust for organising this yajna for self-realisation. I hope that there are many more. And that we all gain from the profound teachings of the ancient seers.
Manish Modi
HINDI GRANTH KARYALAY
Serving the nation since 1912
9 Hirabaug CP Tank
Mumbai 400004
भारत
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