Liberation in different faiths

A bound self remains in its connate condition of bondage or of lack of freedom. It continues the journey of life and understands at one stage that it should get rid of this state thereby leading to enjoyment of ever-bliss. The concepts of freedom and bondage in different faiths are different from each other. Hence the analysis involves different as well as identical approaches.The consideration of various degrees of bondage by different faiths leads to different levels of liberation in the respective faith. Hence different faiths aim at diverse goals in accordance with their concepts.

Umapati Shivam suggests, by implication, that all these goals may be comprehended and transcended in a systematic progression of the avasthas as kevala, sakala and shuddha. Shuddha Avastha realizes the goal of freedom as per Siddhanta doctrine.

Each faith has its own ideology:—

i) The worldly materialist believes that there is no greater goal to achieve than the pleasures of women.^[1]

ii) The Buddhist has a notion that liberation is nothing but annihilation of all categories of experiences.^[2]

iii) The Jains believe that liberation is a very peaceful and quiet condition of the purified self. This can be achieved through the dissolution of the three gunas namely—sattva, rajas and tamas . They believe that the three precious stones of the self-faith in Jina ,knowledge of the doctrine and good conduct-release the self from the karmic bondage.^[3]

iv) The same concept of liberation is held by Vaisheshikas and believers in Prabhakara mimamsa .^[4] Prabhakara mimamsa conceives that when karma is performed with“Pure Wisdom”, same is removed from the self, making the self as a stone or sand, meaning that the self is thereby liberated.

v) Bhedavada and pashupatha consider the concept of liberation as freedom of self from the bondage.^[5]

vi) Shivasamavada relates liberation as that of the self becoming Shiva Himself just like a small worm kept by a wasp in its vespiary attains the shape and all characteristics of the wasp itself.^[6]

vii) Mayavada has a different concept that attainment of “viveka ” or discrimination itself is liberation. When the sky is clouded, nothing in the sky is visible. When there is wind, the cloud is removed and the sky is clearly visible. Similarly, the ever-clear Brahman is hidden in the jivatma by the cloud of maya . When viveka prevails over the jivatma, maya disappears and this clear condition is conceived as mukti.^[7] Thesankya system also believes in discrimination between purusha and prakrti . Lack of discrimination is the reason for bondage.

viii) Another set of people believe in the “Brahman ” and they believe in an illusory jivatma . The latter joins with the former as and when “viveka ” prevails on the jivatma . At this liberated stage, the jivatma will not exist any more.^[8]

ix) Liberation has been contrasted with another goal of the acquisition of supernatural powers—‘Siddhis’^[9] —through practice of yoga.

x) One more sect of people, Padana vadi , believes that the self without jnana remains in turiyaditha avastha without suffering and hence the state of the self in shuddha avastha without having jnana but remaining like a stone, amounts to liberation.^[10]

After indicating all the above said ideologies claimed to be the true liberation by different sects of the people, Umapati Shivam rejects all of them saying that these are blamable in one way or the other.^[11]

His contention is that the self, in the above cited faiths, remains attached with any or more of the 36 tattvas , meaning that these states of the self are really a state lacking in freedom, which leads it to a kind of bondage. All these states are various aspects of kevala or sakala avastha that were explained earlier. These kevala or sakala state again constitute a source of suffering leading to the cycle of birth and death.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Arivaiyar inburumuthi ;—Sivaprakasam 50.—Nitthalume
Pusi muditthu undudutthup punguzhalar thamkalavi
Asaidhanil pattinba arkalikkul–nesamura
Nindru thilaikkum adhu mutthi–alladhu veru
Ondru thilaikkum adhu mutthi–andruendru
Ilaga irul alagai pola igale bhesum
Ulagayadhan pal uradhe .—Nencuvidutudu 107–110.

[2]:

Gandham aindhum arumuthi—Sivaprakasam 50.
—un dhanakkuk Kondriduvadhu ellam kolai alla endrukuritthu
Endrum arame dheivam endruendru -vendrip
Poraiye enum Buddhan polladha punsol
Miraiye virumbi vizhadhe .—Nencuvidutudu 111–113.
Arulnandhi Shivam gives an account of five skandhas—uruvam, vedanai, kurippu, bhavanai, vijnanam.
ongiya uruvamodum vedanai kurippinodum
Thangu bhavanai vignanam thamivai aindhumkudip
Panginal sandhanatthir keduvadhu bandhadhukkam
Angavai pondrak kedai azhivadhu mutthi inbam .—Sivajnana-Siddhiyar-Parapakkam 93.
The self, according to Soutrantika Buddhist, is an illusion. It is merely an aggregation of the above five skandhas . The liberation -the goal of spiritual freedom-is nothing but nirvana, meaning that it is an annihilation of the aggregate, leaving no self behind. However, no explanation is available as to who will experience the goal.

[3]:

Thirigunam adangum mutthi .—Sivaprakasam 50.

[4]:

Viravu vinaikedum mutthi—ibid
Arunjeyalin abavitthe apurvamenumadhu thondrith
Thagunjeyale nindru azhiyil thanpalippathu agum adhu
Varunjeyal ondrindriye man silaipolam mutthi.—Sivajnana-Siddhiyar-Parapakkam 205.

[5]:

Malam pom mutthi—Sivaprakasam 50.
Isanadhu arulal pasatthogudhi
Serivuru sembil karaiyuru kalimbu
Kuligai thakka oliyattrangu
Nittha suddha muttharaga vaitthanar .—Sankarpa-Nirakaranam 9.

[6]:

Vikkiraga nittha mutthi—Sivaprakasam 50.
Munnon thanadhu mudhirolignanam
Ariyap pachchaichiru puzhukkavarndha
Vandena uyirenak kondidum uyiradhu
Thannainokkit thanadhuvagi
Aivagaith thozhilum meivagai unarvum
Piriyavaru pettrut thiriyap
Periyor thiratchi sertthidume .—Sankarpa-Nirakaranam 11.

[7]:

vivekamutthi—Sivaprakasam 50.
Ivviyal bandhap pauvama dhagala
Vinmudhal thandha konmuppadalatthu
Irulara udhittha kalthaga vivegam
Dhannil thondrich chadhagam anaithaiyum
Dhane dhanaith thannil dhannaith thane kandu—Sankarpa-Nirakaranam 03.

[8]:

Paravum uyir kedum mutthi—Sivaprakasam 50.
Sitthe ulagaip parinamitthuch chivanagith thigazhndhamaiyal
Satthe ella mutthiyinaich charakkanda gnanangal
Vaitthe mozhiyum mamaraigal sonna marabe vandhakkal
Otthe ketttup pirammatthodu ondraip pomendru uraitthanar.—Sivajnana-Siddhiyar-Parapakkam 254.

[9]:

These siddhis include—
(a) Anima—formatting a thing to the shape of the smallest size as required.
(b) Mahima—formatting a thing to the shape of a required magnificent size.
(c) Lahima—making a thing lighter.
(d) Karima—making a thing heavier.
(e) Prapthi—achieving a justified desire without fail.
(f) Prakamiya [prakamiyam]—performing a justified action.
(g) Isathuva [isathuvam]—adopting another body and returning back to the original body as andwhen required.
(h) Vasitthuva [vasitthuvam]—mesmerizing the minds of other persons.
Panindhu enthisaiyum Paramanai nadith Thunindhu enthisaiyum thozhudhu embiranai
Anindhu enthisaiyinum attamasiddhi Thanindhu enthisai ondru thapitthavare .—Tirumandiram 640.

[10]:

Padana mutthi—Sivaprakasam 50
Kotthai mandhar uyittthiduthuyilpol
Katchi ennak kanatthuyaram
Matchiyai mutthi yena vagutthanare .—Sankarpa-Nirakaranam 7.

[11]:

Pazhiser mutthi—Sivaprakasam 50.