English
” “ What asavas should be removed by meditation :-— The Monk meditates upon (1) the recollection of true knowledge (2) upon thoughts of Dharma or piety (3) upon energy (4) upon love (5) upon peacefulness (6) upon equanimity or concentration (7) and upon non-attachment-with discrimination, with, passionless- ness, with restraint and with determination of renun- ciation. Then those harmful asévdés which would have been caused by their non-meditation do not happen by their meditation. Thus asavas should be removed by meditation. Note.—The twelve meditations already described according to the Jain Scriptures for restraint of inflow of passions do very correctly include the above stated seven meditations 164 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM The Buddhist Asrava Suttra of Majjhim Nikaya correctly agrees with the subjective inflow and the subjective checking of karmas described in the Jain Scriptures. The Jain philosophy mentions self-concentration as the means for the shedding of karmic dirt. This self- tealization purifies the soul, and thereby the soul attains Nirvana. The Jain Saint Sri Umaswami says in the Tattvdar- tha sutra :— atar fasict a 1X 3. AAVAAATA TM ANCASTMATAUTAIMNA aa - ANAT HTT Te TT: LX 19, mata ATs aT aes az aTy, PN 20; sandeaasataeaaaal LaTaATAR Ea EX ZT, araiiearayaita LX 28. qc ataeq IX 29. mMaTaanHaenasaras ars LX 36, Tara Rasa Hae HAM aI ATI ANAT — adtfa IX 39. Tapasa nirjara cha. IX. 3. Anasanda-va médarya vritti parisankhydna rasa paritydga vivikta sayydsana kaya klesa bahyam tapah LX. 19, THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 165 Prayaschitta vinaya vai yyad vritya svddhyaya vyutsarga dhydnanyuttram 1X. 20. Uttama sanhananasyaikagrachintanirédha dh yana mantar mahurtat. IX, 27. Arta raudra dharmya suklani, IX. 28. Paré moksa hétu, 1X. 29. eigaas cipdka sansthina vicha-ydya dharmyam, 1X. 3 ae vitarka suksmakriya pratipdati vyupurata Rriya nivartini, 1X. 39. Translation and purport :— The Shedding of karmas is caused by austerities, They are of two kinds; external and internal. The external austerities are of six kinds :— (1) Anasana—fasting. Not taking any of the four kinds of food e.g. eatable, drinkable, lickable and tastable, for promoting self-control, for destroying lust and for attaining self-concentration. (2) Avamédarya—Taking less than what is required for the appetite, for awakening in control, subsidence of defects, contentment, easy engagement in reading and meditation. (3) Vritti pari sankhydna—to have a sacred pledge in mind before going for alms such as to go till so many homes, etc. If the pledge is not fulfilled and if alms are not procured then to have satisfaction and to subdue desires. 166 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM (4) Rasa parityéga—to give up one or more of the six kinds of rasas ¢.g., ghee, curd, milk, sugar, salt and oil, for the control of senses and for easy engagement in reading and meditation. (5) Vivikta sayyad sana—to sleep and to sit ina lonely place for the observance of chastity and for the attainment of deep meditation and deep knowledge. (6) Kdyaklesa—Mortification of the body so long as the mind is not disturbed. To practise austerities in forest,on mountains and on the shore of a sea or the bank of a river etc. for advancing in self-concentration and spiritual bliss. Others may know that the monks are suffering hardships, but they may not feel any kind of uneasiness. These six external austerities ars practised by a monk according to his own might, so that he may not feel any pain but feel internal happiness and love. It is said in “‘ Tattvartha sutra” Saktitastapah 24/6. “ Anigulita viryasya margavirodhi kaya klesa stapah— i.e., this kdyaklesa tapa should be followed according to one’s own power which may not be inconsistent with the real path of liberation. The six internal austerities are :— (1) Praéyaschitta—Expiation—to remove one’s transgressions in vows on adopting punishment through the teacher. (2) Vinaya—Reverence—for the right belief, tight knowledge and right conduct and for the worthy followers. THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 167 (3) Vaiyya vritya—Service—serving the distressed, fatigued and sick saints. (+) Svadhydya—Reading holy scriptures. (5) Vyutsarga—Giving up attachment to body etc. (6) Dhyana—Concentration. Concentration is of four kinds :-— (1) Arta dhyana—painful concentration as feeling sorrow etc. (2) Raudra Dhyana—wicked concentra- tion—to have pleasure in teasing others. (3) Dharma dhyana—right concentration. (4) Sukla dhyana—Pure concentration. Right concentration is of four kinds :-— (1) Ajna vichaya—to meditate upon the right principles according to the scriptures. (2) Ajna vichaya—to meditate on how to remove one’s affection and hatred and karmas and how to remove wrong belief and knowledge of others. (3) Vipaka vichaya—to meditate upon the causes of pleasure and pain, the ripening of karmas. (4) Sansthana vichaya—to meditate upon the nature of the universe and upon the pure soul itself. Pure concentration—is of four kinds :— (1) Prithaktva vitarka vichara. Absorption in meditation of the Self, but unconsciously allowing its different attributes to replace one another. (2) Ekatva vitarka avichara—Absorption in one aspect of the Self, without changing the particular aspect concentrated upon. 168 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM (3) Suksma kriya-pratipati—The very fine vibra- tory movements in the Soul, even when it is deeply absorbed in itself, in a Kevali. (4) Vyupurata kriya nivarti—Total absorption of the self in itself, steady and undisturbably fixed without any motion or vibration whatsoever. In Jainism, practical right belief has been said to be firm belief in the seven principles, of which sub- jective inflow, subjective bondage, subjective checking and subjective shedding have been described above. Self-concentration or perfect equanimity or Samyak Samddhi is the subjective shedding which removes karmic dirts. Subjective liberation or Nirvana is the same thing and has been described in the first chapter. Ndma riipa of the Buddhists is included in the two principles soul and non-soul. Some more details of these two principles may be useful to the readers :— The soul principle— The natute of the soul from both the practical and real points of view have been described in the second chapter. All the conditions pertaining to the worldly souls are included in Ndma rapa of the Buddhists, while the pure soul 2.., (worldly soul minus worldly conditions and matter) is what is Nirvana of the Buddhists and the Jains. Non-soul principle :— There is no consciousness in it. It is of five kinds. They are the five root-substances : THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 169 (1) Pudgala—matter. That in which atoms may have union and disunion is called Pudgala. Its special natures are touch, taste, smell and colour. Indivisible matter is particle and different kinds gross and fine molecules are formed by their different numerical union. The four elements of earth, water, fire and air are formed from matter. Karmic molecules which inflow towards the mundane soul and are bound with it are fine material molecules invisible to the senses. Sound, bondage, fine things, gross things, material figures, pieces, darkness, shades, light and sun-shine etc. are al] the modifications of matter. Tattvarthasdra says :— Aas aaa: georsrsarety | Gwelat Baraat Rea YATeTse I Bhedddi bhyo nimittebhyah Purnadgalanadapi Pudgalanam svabhdvajnaih kathyante pudgalad iti 55/3. Pudgalas are so called, because they unite and dis- unite, owing to breaking and mingling, on account of external causes. (2) Dharma sti kéya—medium of motion. It is one immaterial substance all pervading in the universe which is a very essential auxiliary cause for the motion of souls and matter. It does not induce them to move. (3) Adharmdasti kéya—medium of rest. It is one immaterial substance all pervading in the universe which is a very essential auxiliary cause for the resting of souls and matter. It does not induce them to rest. 22 170 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM (4) Akdsa. Space—It is infinite, is the greatest of all substances in uimension, immaterial, one whole sub- stance—which has the capacity of giving space to all the other substances. (5) Kala—Time. Time-atoms called kalanu are separate existing on each of the spacial points of the universe. As the spacial units of the universe are innumerable so the Time-atoms are also innumerable in number. Their function is to be the auxiliary cause of the modification of all the substances. Note.—As far as I have read the Buddhist litera- ture, I have not found such divisions of the substances init. The Buddhist books say that Goutama did not describe ‘ what is in the universe.’ According to Jainism right belief and right know- ledge of the seven principles, soul, non-soul, inflow, bondage, checking, shedding and liberation are practical right belief and right knowledge, while firm belief in the pure nature of one’s own self is the real right belief and right knowledge. Let us desctibe Right Conduct ; Dravya Samgraha, a Jain work says :— age fatatadt Ge Waa T aT ATT | azarae aazerruar = Sorafirs | 2" Asuhddo vinvttti suhe pavitté ya Jana charittam, Vadasanidiguttiruvam vavahdranaya du Jinabha- MIVA THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 17] Giving up bad engagement and following good engagements should be known to be conduct ; (five) vows, (five) carefulness and (three) restraints have been said to be practical conduct by the Jina. Five Mahdvrata or great vows are non-injury, truth, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession. Five Samiti or carefulness are carefulness in walk- ing, speaking, eating, handling and casting refuse.