Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates ‘Nine Tattvas (1): The concept of Jiva (spiritual entity)’ of the study on the concept of Mysticism in Jainism exploring key concepts such as Jaina metaphysics and Jain ethics. The present research is divided into six chapters, beginning with an introduction to mysticism, examining its characteristics from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Subsequent chapters delve into the mystical aspects of Brahmanic and Shramanic literature, analyzing texts from the Shvetambara and Digambara traditions to unearth traces of Jain mysticism.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Nine Tattvas (1): The concept of Jīva (spiritual entity)
[Full title: Nine Tattvas: Journey of Soul towards Mokṣa (1) Jīva]
Mysticism being the concept of self realization and liberation based on spirituality has its roots in Jaina philosophy and religion. Jainism is grounded on spirituality. It’s spiritual or highest religious experience is experience of divinity in one’s own self by self realisation. Therefore, as far as the mystic element or let us say ‘mysticism’ in Jainism is concerned, it can be inferred that it is full of mystic element. This chapter will explore the mystical elements in Jaina concepts.
Realisation of transcendental truth is the ethical goal which a spiritual aspirant strives for. Understanding of nine tattva (fundamental truth or real existent) is the heart of Jain spirituality. As it constitutes the path of liberation.[1] Moreover, the nine tattvas reflects the process of change of the soul from bondage to liberation. It helps to know the cause of progress and regress of the soul in spiritual journey.
Jain text Ṭhāṇaṃ and Uttarādhyāyana enumerate nine tattvas.[2] Ācārya Umāswati in Tattvartha Sūtra has mentioned seven tattvas.[3] Of the nine tattvas, jīva and ajīva,[4] these are primary tattvas. The rest are the derivatives of their association and disassociation or that are either conducive or obstructive for liberation. Bandha, puṇya and pāpa are the different stages of ajīva tattva caused by the effect of the soul and these tattvas distort the true nature of the soul. Āsrava, saṃvara, nīrjarā and mokṣa are the different modes of jīva tattva. Āsrava is both conducive and the hindrance producing and saṃvara and nīrjarā are conducive to self-realization. Mokṣa is the true nature of the soul. Thus, to achieve the ultimate goal a person has to understand the nature of these tattvas.
According to Jainism ‘know thyself’ is regarded as the climax of spiritual practice and progress. Without self knowledge one cannot start the spiritual journey. Therefore, in ethical consideration of tattva, jīva is taken as the very first of nine.
The term jīva represents a spiritual entity. It is eternal and indestrutible. It is variously known as soul, ātma, puruṣa or spirit. Its essential nature is ‘upayoga’ i.e. pure consciousness[5], which constitutes jñāna (knowledge) and darśana (perception). There is infinity of them. Each soul possesses infinite knowledge, infite instuition, infinite power and infinite bliss. Thus, every soul is potentially divine or supreme soul. Jainism broadly classifies soul in two forms–siddha (liberated) and saṃsārin (worldly) souls.[6] The soul that is free from karmic bondage, which transcended the cycle of saṃsāra and which has attained its nature of instrinsic purity as resulting liberation from karmic bondage is siddha.[7] The worldly souls are with body and are subject to the cycle if birth.[8] Such souls continues to live as embodied soul subject to growth, decay, old age and death.[9] Describing the nature of worldly soul the sūtra states–‘It is eternal, constitutes perception and knowledge, formless, agent of its own action, enjoying the fruits of karmas, limited to body, tendency of upward motion and can become in its perfect condition ‘siddha’.[10]
According to Jaina religion, soul’s mundane state is beginning-less but not eternal. It is due to nescience or delusion that soul is in this state and transmigrates in different grades of existence. This mundane state comes to an end by souls own effort i.e. by spiritual exertion.
The Jaina scriptures advocates for an aspirant that–of all the saṃsari jīvas it is only in the human form the soul can be from bondage and attain mokṣa. But, the attainment of human form is very rare[11]. Having attained the human form–a spiritual aspirant should put effort for the spiritual realization and ultimately reach to that state. Thus, self awareness of ones own potential of perfectness, ones present condition and the consequent enlightenment provides a well defined specific goal or objective to the aspirant who have so far been grasping the dark from eternity.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Samayasāra, by Kundakunda, English Translation and Commentary based upon Amrtacandra’s Atmatikhyati Jika, ed./ trans. A. Chakravarti, Bhāratīya Gyanpath, New Delhi, 5th edn. 2008, 1.13
[2]:
Ṭhāṇaṃ, 9.6; Uttarajjhayaṇāṇi, 28.14.
[3]:
Tattvārtha Sūtra, by Ācārya Umāswāti, tran. Nathmal Tatia, ed. Kerry Brown and Seema Sharma, in the name of ‘That Which Is’, Harper Collins, America, 1994, 1.4 ‘He has included puṇya and pāpa in the āśrava or bandha tattvā’
[5]:
Ṭhāṇaṃ, 5.173, ‘guṇao gaṇaguṇe’
[6]:
[7]:
Samayasāra, (A. Chakravarti), p. 149.
[8]:
[9]:
Samayasāra, Indtroduction, p. 148.
[10]:
Bṛhaddravyasaṃgraha by Nemicandra Siddhānta Cakravarti, With Brahmadeva Sanskritvṛtti, Hindi tran. by Jaraharlal Shastri, comm. Manoharlal Shastri, Paramshrut Prabhavak Mandal, Śrimad Rajchandra Ashram,, Agas, 2013, Verse, 2.