2.2. Traces of Mysticism in the Sthānāṅga

[Full title: 2. Traces of Mysticism in Canoncial Literature (2) The Sthānāṅga]

The third text of Aṅga literature is Sthānāṅga called as ‘Ṭhāṇaṃ’ in prakrit. In this text, metaphysical concepts are presented on the basis of numerical classifications. It is considered to be an encyclopedia of several subjects of Jain philosophy. The text elaborately details different aspects of kevali, who is an enlightened mystic.

1 Matchless Qualities of Kevalī (Omniscient)

The text describes the kevali, with ten matchless qualities. These are:

“kevalissa ṇaṃ dasa aṇuttarā paṇṇathā, taṃ jahā anuttare ṇāṇe, aṇuttare daṃsaṇe, anuttare caritte, anuttare tave…. anuttara lāghave”^[1]

1) Anuttara Jñāna (matchless knowledge),
2) Anuttara Darśana (matchless perception),
3) Anuttara Cāritra (matchless conduct),
4) Anuttara Tapa (matchless austerities),
5) Anuttara Vīrya (matchless spiritual potency),
6) Anuttara Kṣānti (matchless forgiveness),
7) Anuttara Mukti (matchless contentment),
8) Anuttara Ārjava (matchless spiritual purity),
9) Anuttara Mārdava (matchless gentleness),
10) Anuttara Lāghava (matchless modesty).

2 Characteristics of Kevalī

Mystical experiences are subjective. The Ṭhāṇaṃ text mentions some characteristics by which one can recognise an enlightened mystic. It states–A Kevali is recognized by seven sthānās (activities). These are: one who does not harm or destroy life or living beings i.e., who is completely non-violent, who does not lie, who doesn’t take anything without it being offered, who doesn’t indulge in sound, taste, touch, form or smell, who doesn’t encourage his worship and respect, who doesn’t indulge in any activity, who does what he says.^[2]

3 Objects Known Only by a Kevalī

Kevalī is all knowing. There is nothing unknown to him. To emphasize its uniqueness of cognition the text states about objects that are only cognised by a Kevalī (omniscient) and cannot be cognised by ‘cadmastha’ (a person in the state of bondage).

These objects^[3] are–

1. Dharmāstikāya (medium of motion),
2. Adharmāstikāya (medium of stability),
3. Ākāśāstikāya (accommodation),
4. Śarīramuktajīva (Disembodied soul),
5. Paramāṇupudgala (Ultimate particle of matter),
6. Śabda (sound),
7. Gandha (smell),
8. Vāyu (air),
9. One who will become a Jina or not,
10. One who will end all misery or not.

4 Mystic Designation

Enlightened mystics have been termed with different terms in the text such as, ‘Ṛddhimāna’^[4] i.e. someone who is endowed with supernatural powers, ‘Khantisūra Arahaṅtā’ i.e. Arhata who are brave in forgiveness,^[5] a Kevalī - omniscient, a Jina and Arihanta -conqueror of passions.^[6]

5 Who Becomes Kevalī?

The Ṭhāṇaṃ text mentions that an aspirant becomes Kevalī at the moment when the soul destroys the following four karmas^[7], i.e. (i) Jñānāvaraṇīya karma (knowledge obscuring karma), (ii) Darśanāvarṅīya karma (perception obscuring karma), (iii) Mohanīya karma (deluding karma), (iv) Antarāyika karma (power hindering karma).

6 Attainment of Mystical Insight

According to Jainism, the mystical or spiritual journey for attainment of mystical state starts from ‘samyaktva’ i.e., right worldview. The Ṭhāṇaṃ Sūtra mentions a soul can attain samyaga darśan either by ‘nisarga’ i.e. spontaneously evoked right faith due to natural purity of soul or by ‘adhigam’ i.e. acquired as a consequence of studying scriptures or by listening to a teacher or such other cause.^[8] Moreover, the text clearly states ten types of samyaga darśana classified on the basis of its causes of attainment.

There are:

1. Nisarga-ruci (acquired without outside help),
2. Upadeśa-ruci (acquired through teachings of a Guru),
3. Ājñā-ruci (acquired through doctrines of arhat),
4. Sūtra-ruci (acquired through study of scriptures),
5. Bīja-ruci (acquired through contemplation of justness),
6. Abhigama-ruci (acquired through study of elaboration of aphoristic scriptures),
7. Vistāra-ruci (acquired through detailed study of logic),
8. Kriyā-ruci (acquired through indulgence of religious rituals and activities),
9. Saṅkṣepa-ruci (acquired through listening to brief religious texts),
10. Dharma-ruci (acquired through faith in ascetic religion and conduct).^[9]

7 Practice of Asceticism

According to Jainism, for attainment of mystical state, it is necessary for a seeker to accept and practice an ascetic life not on outlook but on psychological basis. In the Ṭhāṇaṃ sūtra, we find an account of ‘Aṅtakriyā Pada’, which deals with the attainment of liberation by four people who had practiced ‘asceticism’ either for, long or short term. These four saints were Bharat, Gajasukumāl, Marudevā and Sanatkumar. All of them destroyed their past accumulated karmas by practicing self–restraint and asceticism, thus becoming siddha.^[10]

8 Pacification of Soul and Attainment of Mystical Powers

Ṭhāṇaṃ sūtra also mentions of various practices for attainting the state of kevalī. It quotes that through knowing and abandoning two sthānas, the soul is able to listen to the sermon of the omniscient.

These two sthāns are–

1. Ārambha (violence);
2. Parigraha (possession).

By knowing and abandoning ārambha and parigraha, a soul is able to experience pious enlightenment. The aspirant should tonsure his head and renounce his household to become a homeless ascetic. After this, observation complete ascetic discipline in the form of five great vows should be followed. This will help the soul to accomplish ‘saṃvara’ i.e. stopping influx of karmas and thus, acquire pure Abhinibodhik Jñāna (sensory perception), Śruta Jñāna (scriptural knowledge), Avadhi Jñāna (extra sensory perception of the physical dimension); something akin to clairvoyance, pure Manaḥ-paryav Jñāna (mind reading), pure Kevalajñāna (omniscience).^[11] Of these jñānas the last three are supernatural powers that are attainted as one’s soul purifies. The Ṭhāṇaṃ sūtra mentions of these supernatural powers, which can be categorized as absolute and relative mystical experiences.

In sthāna second, the author states two ways of knowledge.^[12] One, Pratyakṣa (direct knowledge) and second, Parokṣa (in direct knowledge).

Direct knowledge can be classified in two, namely—

1. Kevalajñāna (omniscience) and
2. No-Kevalajñāna (other than omniscience).

Again, both types are classified into two subtypes, two subtypes of Kevalajñāna are—

1. Bhavastha Kevalajñāna (omniscience in embodied state) and
2. Siddha Kevalajñāna (omniscience in disembodied state),

While two kinds of No-Kevaljñāna^[13] are,

1. Avadhi Jñāna (clairvoyance) and
2. Manahaparyava Jñāna (mind reading).

Out of all these Pratyakṣa jñāna, No-kevalajñāna is attainable by a mystic during their mystical journey while Kevalajñāna is attainted at the very end of their spiritual journey.

The author of Ṭhāṇaṃ explains the possessors of these supersensory knowledge are called, Arihant, Kevalī and jina. In general, the terms, Kevalī, Arihanta and Jina are titled for kevalī, who have attained omniscience etc ., however, the author of Ṭhāṇaṃ has designated Manaḥaparyava jñāni and Avadhi jñāni as Kevalī, Arihanta and Jina because eventually in that life itself, they would become Kevalī.^[14]

9 Kevalī Samudghāta

According to Jainism, the size of soul is body pervasive. However, during special events, the soul’s space-points i.e., pradeśa come out of the body and spread in the space. Thānaṃ sūtra details about this mystical event, called ‘Kevali Samudghāta’, in which the soul expands and becomes all pervasive in loka (universe) touching every space point in the cosmos.

The kevalī who is about to attain salvation within an antar muhurta (less then forty-eight minutes) does ‘kevalī samudghāta’ for balancing the karmas of āusya karma (life span determining) with that of other three karmas namely, ‘Nāma’ (Body determining karma), ‘Gotra’ (Class determining karma) and ‘Vedaniya’ (Feeling producing Karma) karma. The extension of the soul in kevalī samudghata is of eight samaya^[15] that is been detailed in chapter 8. This special event is a metaphysical mystical event, that happens only once in a soul’s entire life cycle. This is a supportive event in attainment of liberation.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ṭhāṇaṃ, Vācanā Pramukha Ācārya Tulsī, Editor and Commentator Muni Nathmal, With Text Sanskrit Rendering, Hindi Translation etc., Jaina Vishva Bharti, Ladnun, 1976, 10.138.

[2]:

Ibid , 7.29 “sattahiṃ ṭhāṇehiṃ kevalīṃ jāṇejjā, taṃ jahā ṇo pāṇe aivāittā bhavati….. tahākārī yāvi bhavati.”

[3]:

Ibid , 10.109 “dasa ṭhāṇāiṃ chaumatthe savvabhāveṇaṃ ṇa jāṇāti na pāsati taṃ jahā dhammatthi kāyaṃ, adhammatthikāyaṃ…. Etāṇi ceva uppaṇṇaṇāṇadaṃsaṇadhare arahā jiṇe kevalī savvabhāveṇaṃ jānaī pāsaī, taṃ jahā -dhammatthikāyaṃ, adhammatthikāyaṃ….”

[4]:

Ibid , 5.168, “paṅcavīhā iḍḍhimaṅtā maṇussā paṇattā, taṃ jahā-Arahaṅtā, cakkavattī, Baladevā, Vasudevā, Bhāviyappāṇo aṇagārā”

[5]:

Ṭhāṇaṃ, 4.367

[6]:

Ibid , 3.5.512 -514

[7]:

Ibid , 4.142 “Paḍhamasamaya jṇassa ṇaṃ cattātri kammaṃsā khīṇā bhavanti, taṃ jahā ṇāṇāvaraṇjjaṃ, daṃsaṇāvaraṇijjaṃ ….”

[8]:

Ibid , 2.80 “Sammaddaṃsaṇe duvihe paṇṇatte, taṃ jahā–ṇisagga sammaddaṃsaṇe ceva; abhigama-sammaddaṃsane ceva”

[9]:

Ibid , 10.104

[10]:

Ṭhāṇaṃ, 4.1

[11]:

Ibid , 2.41 -62

[12]:

Ibid , 2.86

[13]:

Ibid , 2.95 -99

[14]:

Ṭhāṇaṃ, 3. 512 -514 “tao jiṇā paṇṇattā….,tao kevali paṇṇattā….,tao arahā paṇṇattā….,taṃ jahā, ohiṇāṇjiṇe maṇapajjavaṇānajiṇe, kevalaṇāṇa jiṇe….”

[15]:

Ibid , 8.114