True Liberation Lies Within: A Jain Perspective

In Jain philosophy, the statement "Even the enlightened cannot liberate you. Only your own inner awakening can." encapsulates the essence of personal responsibility in spiritual progress. Unlike many belief systems that emphasize divine intervention or salvation through a guru, Jainism holds that liberation (moksha) is entirely self-attained. Even the Tirthankaras—the most enlightened beings—serve only as guides, not saviors.

This teaching places the individual at the center of their spiritual journey. The soul, according to Jainism, is inherently pure but is bound by karma due to ignorance, attachment, and aversion. No external force, no matter how divine, can wash away these karmic bonds. Only through self-discipline, ethical living, meditation, and deep introspection can one gradually peel away layers of karmic matter.

This principle promotes a life of non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), and detachment (aparigraha), encouraging followers to awaken their inner consciousness. Enlightened beings may show the path, but walking it is the seeker’s duty alone.

In a world that often seeks shortcuts to peace and liberation, this teaching is a powerful reminder: true transformation is an inward process. The path to freedom begins not with miracles, but with mindfulness.

VISIONS

People tend to get visions through dreaming, during meditations or even through waking hour. These are not hallucinations as many skeptics think otherwise. When an individual becomes aware, recognizes its soul and its journey, it starts getting visions, which acts like a guidance to help the journey through the oceans of samsaras.

One of my first vision was when I went total blank and experienced immense bliss just for a moment or samay, during my college lecture. Later, I used to see a lot of things during meditations and even while dreaming. However, one fine day, while going through a magazine I saw a picture of an ancient temple and instantly the world around me stopped for a while and I was like transported to that very place where I had seen the temple. It was like being there on the spot and saw things happening as if I was invisible in that place, where I could see but no one else could. After searching a lot on the web, I came to the conclusion that the temple was situated at Hale bid. Not long after that I underwent my first professional past life regression. An experience that not only gave me the answer to the vision but also opened up the doors between the consciousness and unconsciousness of my mind and soul.

After which like the floodgate that opened up, I would frequently see things during my meditations. However, after my soul mate expired just two months ago, my grief suddenly made me see things that I never seen before. During one early morning during waking hours, I saw a tunnel opening up and a bright light flooding through. The lights were soothing and beckoning to me. But it started to shut off and I was like pleading, no no, don’t shut off.

This morning, about several days from the last episode. Again in the morning hours, just before the sunrise, while standing at the window, thinking and grieving for my lost love, I saw the sun rays streaking across the landscape right in front of my eyes. The golden bright rays were not falling over the city, but a landscape I had never seen before. I was standing on a higher level at a vantage point and I saw the golden sun rays falling over a different city, surrounded by lakes and rivers and mountains in the distance. The city was in a circular fashion and nothing remotely representing anything on Earth. I had a 270 degree view of the city and it was out of this world. I felt at ease and was awed with the scene I had just seen. The entire vision lasted momentarily, but it was enough for me to recognize that it could have been the famed citadel mentioned in the ancient Jain books as Mahavideha Kshetra. I had a fleeting glimpse of the city, but it was enough for me to brood over it the entire day. It seemed this city is just around the corner on another dimension. Physically, it may not be possible for a body to cross over, but the soul can.

Whenever, the body dies off, the soul crosses over to another dimension and because it has shed the clothing, it can remember everything. Likewise, when the same soul re-enters back to the physical world in another body, it takes on extra clothing that hides the memory of the other side. Hence, a normal soul is incapable of remembering its own past lives or what happens thereafter. There are exceptions in terms of those who have come back on Earth plane with lesser clothing or is able to shed the extra burden on Earth itself, they start remembering things, if not completely at the initial stages. Visions are part of this very make-up that allows a soul not only to see the universe in its entirety but understand it as well, bit by bit.

Science has not even gone beyond seeing the limited light refraction and hence the rest remains in the dark. But what’s not visible does not mean it does not exist. It is like burning a match stick in the dark huge cave, wherein only a tiny part of the cave is visible where the light shines. I had once seen the entire universe, during my meditation, with daylight in the background and not as dark as we see each night on Earth. None of my visions are hallucinations. They are what Earthly science cannot explains because it is still in the infancy stage. They are trailers of the real thing. Visions that bring peace to you is different from nightmares. 

We can actually access the dimensions if we want to. All it takes is a key to unlock its method. The key here is actually a thought process that unlocks the portal, but once open, they more or less remain open. Souls residing on higher dimensions can travel anywhere, anytime. It is the Earthly beings who are restricted due to the presence of the body that acts like a prison cell, wherein our rib cage acts as the bars of the prison. As human our aim is not the body or its survival. It is to be set free from the body, maybe after completing our task. Our Earthly time is actually our punishment of sort and our true home lies elsewhere. All souls are bound by desires and they exist everywhere, even on higher dimensions. The only difference is that the levels and purpose of desires changes. The only place the soul is truly free from everything is the final resting abode of ‘Siddha Sila’.

If you as a reader could even see small bit of the beautiful visions, like the way I did, you too will want to be set free. By remaining on Earth due to ignorance, we are actually binding more karmic dirt than discarding them. Thereby increasing our bondage. As soon as we feel our purpose is over, or our jail time is over, we should make a move to cross over the main gates to be free at last and not linger back due to worldly pressures.

Article by: Dhara Kothari, Mumbai - INDIA

The Perfect Vision

We are fooled by our senses. We see and believe whatever we perceive through the senses. To approach reality we need to purify our vision and the point of view to see the world as it is in real. In the pre-historic and ancient times some people tried to approach reality and they did. For that they did chose meditation and restrained all the five senses to realize their self. Shri Krishna has said that, “The enlightened is aware where the ignorant is sleeping, and the ignorant is aware where the enlightened is sleeping.” That does mean the enlightened has perfect vision and he is not aware where the ignorant is absorbed, the subject of five senses.

To understand reality we need to understand the nature of the cosmos. Everything in this cosmos has dual nature. I have written about the six eternal Substances earlier. Nobody has created them and nobody can destroy them. These are Soul, Matter, Motion, Rest, Space and Time. All are independent and none depends on another. If we see through senses then we realize that all depends on each other. We have identified our self as human body. Animals have identified their self as their present body, like cow, lion, monkey etc. But actually this body is the Matter, the second substance. We are the souls that is another substance which has no relation with matter and the rest of four substances. Even there is no relation between every soul. To get rid of this confusion we have to see through higher stand point. It is known as The Absolute Stand Point. From the Absolute Stand Point substances will appear as they are. But this is still not absolute reality. There is one more stand point called The Practical Stand Point. Whatever we see and believe right now comes into this stand point, like I am body, I born once and dies once; I can do others’ welfare and can hurt or kill others. Every substance can do other’s work also comes in this stand point. Both stand points are real.

Going deeper into thinking we find two more stand points called The Substantial Stand Point and The Modal Stand Point. To know them we need to know the nature of all substances. All the six substances are with attributes like, Substance, Essence and Modifications. A substance undergoes changes but still maintains its eternity and Essence. The change is called modifications and is seen through the Modal Stand Point (Paryayarthika Naya). The eternity and essence that remains same is seen through the Substantial Stand Point (Dravyayarthika Naya). This is strange nature of all substances. For example, when we light up a candle then we think that the fire has emerged and when we light it off we think that the fire is vanished. But actually it has not! Our observation was through the Modal Stand Point. From the Substantial Stand Point the fire is still there in the form of atoms. All was the scientific process. The atoms that went into process created fire still exist and they were existed before the fire emerged. In this case the atoms are seen through the Substantial Stand Point and the fire is seen through the Modal Stand Point. The atoms are substance (Pudgal according to Jain terminology) and the fire was their modification (Paryay).  Same thing can be observed in the soul substance. The pure soul (free from karma), which has no mass, no color, no taste, no smell; no touch is seen from the Substantial Stand Point. And the soul as seen from the Modal Stand Point appears to be in humans, animals, plants, insect etc forms.

Every substance has dual nature, Special and General. Both are present in a substance in all three times (past, present and future). The Special nature is their various modifications which are seen through the Modal Stand Point and the General nature is the basic substantive qualities that remain same, unchanged that can be seen through the Substantial Stand Point. The soul is the knower-seer and the rest of all substances have no consciousness so are called “Jáda” in Jain terminology. The soul has two visions called general and special. Seeing through General vision we find all substances are eternal and unchanged. Seeing through Special vision we find all substances as always changing and momentary. The single vision is not perfect and is not taking an individual to ultimate realization. We can’t say that substances are only eternal. We can’t say that substances are only transitory. Such statement will be single faceted. The truth is multi faceted and can be expressed by integrating all stand points. So by just opening our single vision of consciousness we can’t approach reality. To approach the truth we have to open both visions together and such vision is called the perfect vision. If a pot made of clay breaks then the one who has perfect vision will say the pot is broken as well as it is not.

If observing all souls in this cosmos by opening the substantial vision what will we see? We will see all souls alike (by qualities). And what will we see if we close the substantial vision and open the modal vision? We will see all souls in various forms like plants, humans, animals, insect, and microorganism and so on, because all the souls are absorbed in their present modification. Now what will we see by opening both eyes together? We will see the souls’ both General and Special forms together. For example, I am the pure soul but I am right now absorbed in my human modification. Human modification comes from within but this human body is not mine. In my perfect vision I see that modifications and my soul (the substance) are united. The modifications are infinite but all comes from within (my own soul substance). Right now, in present birth I am in human modification. In the next birth I will be in other modification but my soul substance will remain unchanged.  Same thing can be observed in the non living substances like Matter, Medium of Motion, Medium of Rest, Space and Time. Attachment and aversion arise because of our orientation towards modifications only. Thus we have divided people, places into so many relations and names. We say, my father, my son, my mother, my wife, my home, my country and thus we becomes attached to them and whenever we depart from them we feel with aversion. Thus we further accumulate karma particles and keep wandering in the mundane world. Adopting the perfect vision we can easily get rid of attachment and aversion and can progress in spiritual meditation.

12 REFLECTIONS

In the Jain history it is mentioned that many great figures attained omniscience even when they were householders or were living in home or they were under purest reflections. There were also many great Jain monks who became fully enlightened while they were under pure state of mind. Here is the list of few omniscient lords.

King Bharata: Became omniscient while sitting in his palace’s mirror room.
Ilachi Kumar: Became omniscient while performing the rope-walk.
Guna Sagar: Became omniscient during his wedding.
Mother Marudeva: Became omniscient while riding on elephant when she saw her son Rishabha giving seremon.
Gajsukumal: Became omniscient when his father-in-law put burning coals on his head.

According to Jainism, the pure reflections have power to develop supreme non-attachment (vitraaga). There are 12 reflections mentioned in Jainism. A person should meditate to destroy his/her karmas and to reach the state of supreme non-attachment in order to attain omniscience. The 12 reflections are as below:

IMPERMANENCE OF THE WORLD: A person should meditate on this reflection, under this reflection one thinks that in this world, everything such as life, youth, wealth and property is transient or subject to alternation. Nothing in the universe is permanent, even though the whole universe is permanent or constant. Spiritual values are therefore worth striving for as soul’s ultimate freedom and stability. This will help to break all worldly attachments. King Bharata was thinking like this when he attained omniscience and became full enlightened in his palace’s mirror room.

NO ONE PROVIDES PROTECTION : Under this reflection, one thinks that he/she is helpless against death, old age and disease. The only way he can conquer death and disease is destroying all his karma. The soul is its own savior, and to achieve total freedom and enlightenment, one takes refuge to the true path of the religion and the five benevolent personalities, Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, upadhyay and Sadhus or monks. A Jain monk Amar Kumar reincarnated to the 12th Heavenly region by thinking this.

NO PERMANENT RELATIONSHIP IN THE UNIVERSE: If one meditate on this and thinks about the relations by keeping the soul in the centre then he/she realizes that the soul transmigrates from one life to the other and takes birth as human, animal, hellish and heavenly body. There are no permanent worldly relations like father, mother, friend and foe. By thinking on this, many people has attained liberation.

SOLITUDE OF THE SOUL: One should meditate under this reflection by thinking that the soul is solitude, and lonely in existence. The soul assumes birth alone, and departs alone, from this world. The soul is responsible for its own actions and karmas. When a person suffers from pain then nobody from his relatives and friends can share his/her sufferings. Jain monk Anathimuni got initiated by thinking this.

SEPARATENESS: One should meditate on this reflection by thinking that one’s own soul is separate from any other objects or living beings of the world. Even his physical body is also not his. At the time of death, soul leaves the body behind. The body is matter while the soul is all conscious. The soul therefore should not develop attachment for worldly objects, other living beings, or to his/her own physical body.

IMPURENESS OF THE BODY: One should meditate on this reflection by thinking about the constituent element of one’s body. It is made of impure things like blood, bones, flesh, etc. It is also generates impure things like perspiration, urine and stood. The soul, which resides within the body, remains unattached to the body. The soul is alone, pure and liberated. The body eventually becomes nonexistent, but the soul is eternal. Lord Mallinath, the 19th Tirthankar converted mind of six kings by telling this who came to marry her. She eventually converted them to develop detachment toward female beauty and worldly attachments.

INFLUX OF KARMA: Under this reflection, one thinks about karma streaming into soul. Every time the person enjoys or suffers through his/her five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing), the person accumulates more karma. This thought will wake him/her more careful and aware of their own actions. This reflection develops self-control.

STOPPAGE OF INFLUX OF KARMA: Under this reflection, one thinks about stopping evil thoughts, and becomes absorbed in achieving spiritual knowledge and meditation. This prevents the influx of karma.

SHEDDING OF KARMA: Under this reflection one thinks and desires to start penance in order to destroy previously acquired karma. The person starts austerity and meditation.

TRANSITORY OF UNIVERSE: A person meditates about the real nature of the Universe. Judging from the standpoint of substance, it is eternal but from the standpoint of modification it is transitory. Thus all objects of the world come into existence and perish. This thought makes the person understand the true nature of reality which is necessary for right knowledge and faith.

UNATTAINIBILITY OF RIGHT FAITH, KNOWLEDGE AND CONDUCT: Under this reflection, one thinks that it is very difficult for the transmigrating soul to acquire right faith, right knowledge and right conduct in this world. Therefore, when one has the opportunity to be a religious person, take the advantage of it to develop right religions talent. This thought will strengthen one’s effort to attain right faith and knowledge, and live accordingly.

UNATTAINIBILITY OF TRUE PERCEPTOR, SCRIPTURES AND RELIGION: Under this reflection, one thinks that the true preceptor (teacher), religious scriptures, and religion are excellent shelters in this world full of agony. All other things lead to misery and sufferings.

FOUR REFLECTIONS OF VIRTUES:
Besides the twelve reflections described above, Jainism has laid great importance on the following four reflections and virtues.

*Amity, love and friendship
*Appreciation, respect and joy
*Compassion
*Equanimity

-Rahul Zota

Bhuj-India

ENLIGHTENMENT DURING WEDDING

Queen Padmavati saw a dream of an angel’s plane when the pious soul descended in her womb. She did religious activities during her pregnancy. One day she gave birth to a healthy boy and he was named Prithvi Chandra. The prince was detached and remained tranquil since his childhood. There was neither smile nor misery on his face. However he was expert in learning new things he took less time to learn everything. Actually he had purified his soul to a great extent since his past 11 births (21 total, out of which 10 was as a celestial being). Soon he became young and handsome prince. But his father was worried about his son’s detached nature. He convinced his son for marriage and eventually Prithvi Chandra got married with many girls including Princess Lalit Sundari. But he still remained detached and he kept his mind steady. He didn’t even attract towards his wives. Ever since he was a boy he had decided to take renunciation and convert his wives for the true path of liberation. He mentally thought this human incarnation is not for indulging in worldly pleasures but it is for attaining the state of eternal bliss by attaining liberation.

One day the king asked his son to accept the throne and allow him to take renunciation. The prince became worried and thought that I want to take renunciation but my father is asking me to accept the throne instead. I am not interested to indulging in the worldly matters. When I would fulfill my dream? However he accepted his father’s proposal. Finally he accepted the throne. One day a person named Sudhan came in his kingdom. The king Prithvi Chandra asked him,” from where are you coming? Is there any news from your place? The person replied,” Oh king! I am coming from Hastinapur, recently we have a strange event happened there!” Then he began to tell the story to the King.

“In our town, there is a person named Ratnasanchaya. His wife’s name is Sumangala. She gave birth to a son named Guna Sagar. She dreamed an ocean before giving birth to a son. The boy grew up and become a handsome boy. Now he has reached at his youth. One day eight girls were impressed by his beauty when he was passing through a street. One day Guna Sagar was sitting in his palace’s balcony and he saw a monk. He immediately dwelt deep into himself and thought that he has seen a person like this before. He remembered his childhood days but couldn’t get anything. He continued to thinking and he attained telepathy. Thus he acquired memories of his past births. He could see in his knowledge that he had taken renunciation in his past births. His heart filled with detachment. He quickly went to his parents and asked their permission for taking renunciation. He said the mundane lives are full of misery and sorrow, I want to reach to a state full and utmost happiness and that is liberation. His parents tried to convince him and said,” Oh son! You are still young and you haven’t enjoyed the worldly pleasures yet. This is not right time for you to accept monkhood. You can do this later.” Finally they converted him for marriage with eight girls. Guna Sagar had a condition that he would take renunciation on the second day after marriage. His parents accepted this and thought he would change his decision after marriage. Finally the day of his marriage approached. When Guna Sagar was sitting before the girls and the marriage ceremony started. He was again dwelt deep into his self and starts thinking that I would fall in the deep ocean of the never ending cycle of birth and death if I marry these girls and enjoy the worldly life. Then he thought,” No! I will take renunciation tomorrow and then I will observe strict austerities and finally I will make my soul free forever like a bird becomes free from a cage. Ah! From tomorrow the right time will begin for me! I will destroy all the karmas attached to my soul. I will remain attached with my soul!.”

While thinking this Guna Sagar attained enlightenment during marriage. By seeing this eight girls also filled with supreme non-attachment and they also attained enlightenment on that moment. The parents of Guna Sagar thought that their son was born to attain God hood and to become an Arihant. They were trying to convert his mind but they couldn’t. They started to hate their self as they became obstacle for their son. While thinking this also their parents attained enlightenment. The marriage arena now turned into a divine arena. Then the omniscient Guna Sagar gave sermon on the subject of his previous 21 births and said how one can purify his soul and reach the final state of an Arihant.”

By hearing all these from Sudhan, King Prithvi Chandra acquired telepathy, the memory of his previous lives. He thought, “Despite of knowing the true nature of mundane life, I got married and delayed my true purpose of this birth. How unlucky I am! Guna Sagar is really great who attained omniscience during marriage. On the other hand I am getting deeper in the ocean of birth and death. When I would attain salvation? When I would become Arihant?” By thinking this the King Prithvi Chandra also attained enlightenment while sitting on the throne of his palace! Then he gave sermon and resolved his previous births to the listeners. He said, “Me and Guna Sagar have been taking births together since 21 births as a husband and wife, friends and cousins”. Then he explained the bad results of indulging in worldly matters. Many of the listeners took various vows by hearing his discourse. After that Arihant Prithvi Chandra and Guna Sagar became an idol for many people to attain omniscience.

-Rahul Zota (Bhuj-Gujarat)

Monk KURGADU: A Real Inspiring Jain Story

In ancient times there was a businessman named Dhandatta. He was highly religious. He had a son who was also full of religious perspective. Once, Dharmaghosh-suri, the highly enlightened Acharya of that time, came to town, where Dhandatta lived. Afterward Dhandatta went to listen to his sermon along with his young son. The boy was much impressed by the talk of the Acharya and decided to become his pupil. As a result he renounced the worldly life and became a monk at the very young age. The Acharya could foresee that the boy was destined to be a great entity. He therefore named him as Kulguru. In the native language of that area, he came to be known as Kurgadu.

Kurgadu seriously studied the holy books and correctly grasped their essence. He realized the role of Karma in the life of every being and thereby he learned to maintain a high level of self-control. He also strictly observed the code of conduct for monks. However, he had a problem. He could not stay hungry and as such could not fast. He had to eat at least once a day. Even during Paryushan Parva, he could not fast for a single day. When he had to eat on such days of Parva, he felt bad and regretted that he had acquired incapability to fast because of his previous Karma. When other monks observed long or short fasts, he praised them and rendered every type of service to them. He wished, in heart of hearts, that he too could observe fasts.

Jain monks do not move from place to place during monsoon that normally sets in June and ends in October. The Paryushan Parva occurs roughly in the middle of that period. While the Acharya was once camping in the monsoon season, Paryushan Parva came. On that occasion, many of the monks undertook long fasts extending to more than a month. The senior monk, under whom Kurgadu was working, had undertaken one month’s fast. Kurgadu felt sad that he could not undertake such austerities. Seven days passed that way and the day of Samvatsari dawned. He wished that he could observe fast at least on that day. Before noon, however he felt very hungry and could not stay without food. He wondered what sort of body he had acquired that he could not fast even for one day! As it was impossible for him to stay without food, he went to the senior monk and begged his permission to go for alms. The latter scornfully asked him why he could not survive without food at least for one day. He should be inspired to observe fast at least for that day, especially when all his colleagues were on long fasts. Kurgadu humbly replied that he did wish to observe fast but very much regretted his inability to fast. The senior monk pitied his miserable fate and resentfully allowed him to go for alms.

Kurgadu went for alms and most regretfully accepted the food that was offered to him. Coming back, he presented the same to the senior monk, as a part of the code of monks’ conduct and begged his permission to eat. He had done that in all modesty. That monk however became very annoyed by that request. He could not believe that it was beyond the capacity of Kurgadu to fast for one day. He therefore took the humble gesture of Kurgadu as an audacity and disparagingly said that the miserable wretch did not deserve to be a monk. So saying he spitefully pushed the food bowl towards him. Kurgadu accepted that scornful gesture as the graceful permission and going to his place he most reluctantly started to eat.

All the other monks were watching with disgust the taking of food by Kurgadu on that auspicious day and pitied that he was acquiring unwholesome Karma by eating on the day of Samvatsari. While eating Kurgadu himself dwelt deep into the inability of his body to remain without food even for a day. Well read as he was, he could see that it must have been the outcome of his previous Karma. He knew that all Karma drip off after extending the appropriate consequence and this Karma too was going to drop off. He therefore made up his mind to dispassionately bear what had been ordained by his Karma. Because of his study of the scriptures, he had gained enough insight about the true nature of soul. His despising himself for not observing fast was functioning as a handicap for the full realization of that true nature. Now, his willingness to accept what was destined endowed him the insight of distinguishing the nature of soul from the varying states of the body and mind. That gave rise to the manifestation of the true nature of the soul. His realization was strong enough to destroy all the defiling Karmas on the spot and he gained omniscience, while eating the food.

When one attains omniscience, even the heavenly beings come to the place for offering their obeisance. When other monks saw the heavenly beings approaching the place for the purpose, every one thought that they must have been pleased by the acute austerities of some of them and were coming to bow to those monks. Instead, the heavenly beings turned to Kurgadu and offered their obeisance to him. No one could understand why those observing acute austerity were left out, while the one who could not observe it at all, had gained full enlightenment.

In all amazement they went to Dharmaghosh-suri and asked the reason for what had happened. The Acharya said that all of them were feeling too much proud of their austerities and were unnecessarily disparaging Kurgadu for not observing fast. Thereby they were smeared by perception obscuring Karma that obscured right perception. He urged them to bear in mind that the primary purpose of undertaking austerities or any other religious practice was to gain modesty which leads to right perception and in turn helps in attaining equanimity. They had misjudged Kurgadu who had realized the essence of religion. Earlier, he had acquired austerity obstructing Karma that did not allow him to observe the austerity. He did feel sad and sincerely repented for that Karma which had become operative in his current life. By properly comprehending the role of Karma, he had been imbibed with right perception. He did regret for that but was bearing the consequence of the Karma with equanimity. This could help in wiping out the previously acquired Karmas without incurring new bondage.

All the monks realized that they were indulging in unnecessary vanity that obstructed the dawn of right perception. The Acharya also explained that the soul had really nothing to do with the state and activities of the body. The body is obtained as a consequence of the operative Karma and should be used simply as an instrument for realizing the true nature of soul. It can be an effective instrument only if it were used purposefully. Understanding the true nature of soul was the essence of religion and that is the main thing worth pursuing in this life.

courtesy: www.ejainism.com

- Rahul Zota (Bhuj-Gujarat)