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.

ESSENTIALITY OF EQUANIMITY IN LIFE

Jainism emphasizes great importance to the state of equanimity. In the state of equanimity, free from Attachment and Aversion one eradicates high amount of Karma particles bounded with the Soul. Usually one acts with attachment or aversion when one becomes happy or unhappy. One becomes happy when things are going according to his/her desire and one becomes unhappy when things are not going according to his/her desire. Now why the things are not going according to someone’s desire? To understand this we need to go through the Philosophy of Karma.

Every living being has a soul which has basic attributes like, Infinite Knowledge, Infinite Perception, Infinite Bliss and Infinite Energy. There are two different types of energy working in this Universe, Sentient and Non-sentient. Non-sentient is that explained in Physics and very well explained by the famous Einstein’s Equivalence Principle. It is connected with Matter. On the other hand there exists another kind of energy which is Sentient Energy. Sentient Energy is the basic attribute of a soul. The soul is independent substance in the Cosmos which was never born and which will never vanish. There are infinite souls in the Universe. The souls can be categorized into two types, Liberated and Non-Liberated. The liberated souls are those who are free from the cycle of birth and death. The Non-Liberated are in bondage of Karma and thus goes through the cycle of birth, death and re-birth. However, from the Absolute Point of View (Nishchaya Naya) there is no difference between the mundane and liberated souls. They both possess the same qualities.

 The mundane soul is clogged by the eight types of Karma. The four are destructive and the rest are Non-destructive. The soul itself is the doer of its own action (From the absolute point of view it’s pure but it does action because of Miss-belief or Mithyatva). The action done through Mind, Speech and Body causes the Karma particles to stick to the soul’s space points and thus the soul wanders in the cycle of birth and death and experiences suffering. There are two types of action, Inauspicious and Auspicious. Inauspicious action causes to accumulate inauspicious Karma which gives bitter fruits whenever they arise. Same way, auspicious action causes to accumulate auspicious Karma which gives sweet fruits whenever they arise. The cluster of karma particles is know as “Karma Vargana” in Jain terminology. Now, if one is ignorant about this philosophy then he/she reacts with either attachment or aversion at the time of the emergence of previously acquired Karma and thus binds even more Karma. Thus the bondage extends and as a result the soul suffers more in the never ending cycle of birth and rebirth.

The Omniscient Lords have explained to react with equanimity at the time of emergence of the previous Karma. The Lord has explained not to act with attachment when good things are happening with us and aversion when bad things are happening with us. In the state of perfect equanimity one blocks the influx of fresh Karma and even eradicates previously acquired Karma. This process of eradicating old Karma (in the state of equanimity) is so fast that one destroys much strong Karma in a few seconds that the other (who is ignorant and does austerities without practicing equanimity) can destroy in millions of years!  

There is a beautiful story in Jain history which can better help to understand this…

In the time of the 22^nd Tirthankar, Lord Neminath and Shri Krishna there lived a great monk named Dhandhan Muni. He was actually the sun of Shri Krishna but he left his kingdom after hearing Lord Neminath’s magnetic sermons. Since the time of his renunciation he faced very difficult problem. Jain monks and nuns do not cook their food; do not get it prepared for them. They go to different householders and receive a little food from each house. For monk Dhandhan Muni, it was the rise of Benefit Obstructing Karma (Laabhantraya Karma). Such type of Karma obstructs benefit whatever he/she gains. For Dhandhan Muni, this Karma obstructed the gaining of food. Wherever he go he would not get food from the householders. The householders would close their door whenever they see Dhandhan Muni approaching their door.

One day one of his colleagues asked Lord Neminath, “Dear Lord, why such a great monk is having problem for getting his food? Why he always returns without any food? Why the householders of this great town of Dwarka are not offering food to this monk who is the son of great King Vasudev (Lord Krishna)?”

The Omniscient Lord replied, “Oh monk, this is the emergence of the Benefit Obstructing Karma that blocks benefits of the food for Monk Dhandhan. Everything, either good or bad happens because of our good or bad deeds. There is a reason, nothing happens without any reason. In one of his previous births, the Monk Dhandhan was the minister of a King. His name was Parashar and he was ordered to keep an eye on farming. There were many farmers, bulls and cows working under him.

Once, at the time of noon all the farmers took a break for their lunch. They all had worked hard for farming and thus all were hungry. The farmers were taking their meal and the bulls and cows were eating grass. At that time, Parashar stopped them from eating and ordered them to plant seeds. The farmers were hungry so they asked Parashar to let them take their lunch first, but Parashar didn’t even listen to them and ordered them to work for more hours. He said, “First you all plant more seeds in the farms, I will let you eat after the whole work is done.”

All the farmers, bulls and cows were hungry, they were not interested to pursue their work at that time but they had to accept the order, there was no other way. So they pursued their work without any interest. Thus by interrupting in their way of taking meal, Parashar bounded Benefit Obstructing Karma and that karma has come into action in the present birth. So he is not getting food from any householders.”

By listening to the Lord, Monk Dhandhan Muni realized the truth and vowed that he will accept food only gained by his own effort. He will not accept food brought by other monks. Thus, since that time he would daily go to at the doors of the householders of the town of Dwarka and would return without any food. This lasted for six months. Monk Dhandan Muni had been observing fasts since 6 months with ultimate equanimity. He had realized his mistake and he was not showing any hatred toward the householders as he knew that he was responsible for all this.

One day while walking in the street he met his mundane father Shri Krishna. Krishna stepped down the elephant and bowed before Dhandhan Muni and inquired about his life as a monk. When Shri Krishna went back, the nearby householder called Dhandhan Muni for alms. The householder put some laddus (Indian sweet) in the monk’s bowl. Dhandhan Muni thought this must be end of his Benefit Obstructing karma. So before eating and breaking his fast he went to Lord Neminath to confirm whether his Benefit Obstructing Karma has ceased. The Lord said, Oh Dhandhan, your karma has not ceased yet, you received the food is not because of your karma but because of Shri Krishna’s karma. The householder thought that how great that monk is, even the king like Shri Krishna bows before him! So he called you and offered you this food.”

Upon listening this fact from the Omiscient Lord, Dhandhan started to think, “how strong karma I bound by obstructing other’s food in my previous lives!” Thus he decided to forsake the alms (laddus). At the time of forsaking he performed strong equanitmity. He didn’t show any hate to the householders but he found responsible himself behind this. Soon, at the time of forsaking laddus he entered Shukla Dhyana (Pure Meditation) and climbed the ladder of annihilation. In the second step of this meditation (Ekatva Vitarka Savichara Shukla Dhyana) he destroyed not only Benefit Obstructing Karma but also destroyed all the four destructing Karma attached to his soul. As all four karma shed away he became Omniscinet, the all knowing, all perceiving Arihanta.

This shows how one can destroy karma by practicing strong equanimity and can attain Liberation. If we accept the fact that we are the responsible behind our happiness and sorrow then we can attain the state of equanimy and ultimately the state of ultimte bliss. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATTACHMENT AND LOVE

People always identify attachment as love. In real, attachment is the cause of bondage and both attachment and aversion binds the soul in the mundane world (Samsar). Because of attachment a soul transmigrates through infinite cycle of birth and death. According to Jain cosmology, time has no beginning or end. Hence, the soul is taking births since infinite time and it will remain in the bondage of karma for infinite time unless it gains right vision. To get release from this tie, one has to identify what is love and what is attachment.

We often see the person shows love to his beloved ones. He says to his wife that he can die for you. And we people call this “love”. Actually, this is attachment. Those who are eager to face truth reflect on the difference between attachment and love. In reflection, they see that attachment always comes with demands or conditions. Imagine, one man is going through a street. He sees a beautiful girl is also going through the street. He doesn’t know her. Now it is natural that he develops attachment toward her. He mentally accepts the girl. Now in the next moment, he sees the same girl talking with her boyfriend. By seeing his heart fills with jealousy and sorrow enters from the next door. Now we can see he himself is the cause of his sorrow. He himself expected a lot and that is the cause of sorrow. He expected for happiness and as a result he got sorrow. The girl even doesn’t know him. In this case she is neutral. There is a beautiful story that tells how attachment can be the cause for one’s spiritual collapse.

It was the time when Lord Mahavir, the last and the 24^th Tirthankar of the present era was giving his last sermon. His last sermon lasted for 48 hours. All the listeners forgot their hunger and thirst and they all were dwelt deep and enjoying the Lord’s magnetic words. In that moment, suddenly the Lord said to Indrabhuti Gautam, his chief disciple, “Gautam! You have to go to Brahmin Dev Sharma to initiate him”. And Indrabhuti Gautam proceeded toward Dev Sharma’s house.

Indrabhuti Gautam was Lord Mahavir’s chief disciple and he was possessing four types of knowledge. After approaching Dev Sharma’s home he asked,

“What do you work?”

Dev Sharma: “Farming!”

Gautam: “Is your life endures by farming?”

Dev Sharma: “Yes! We have no problem”

Gautam: “Have you ever thought about your soul?”

Dev Sharma: “No! Not yet.”

Gautam: “See! Lord Mahavir has sent me here to initiate you. Human birth is hard and so rare to achieve. You can purify your soul and attain liberation only in the human form of body. Kindly accept asceticism and come with me, join us. I am sure you will ultimately attain liberation and everlasting happiness.”

Dev Sharma: “Lord! You are right, but I love my wife so much that I can’t live without her even for a moment!”

By saying this, Dev Sharma left Gautam unanswered but when he was coming out of his home, his head crashed with the frame of a door and he died on the spot! Indrabhuti Gautam was shocked by seeing Dev Sharma’s immediate death! When he used his knowledge to see his destiny then whatever he saw was this…

Brahmin Dev Sharma had taken birth in his beloved wife’s hairs as a louse.

This was the result of attachment. And this is the law of Nature. The nature gives you whatever you want or wish. This law is as natural as gravity, as an apple falls or earth affects on the space-time of geometry. You wish for mundane pleasures, the nature binds you with mundane world. You want mundane pleasure, the nature gives you sorrow. Because sorrow is real face of illusory happiness. You expect Liberation, you will attain liberation. But you are still here because you have never expected liberation. You are attached toward your beloved ones and that is why the nature will keep you closer to them but it is not clear that in which form you will remain close to them, just like Brahmin Dev Sharma remained close to his beloved wife but in a form of a louse!

Now let’s see what real love is…

There is a beautiful example of a young monk named Upagupta. It was nighttime during the rainy season, and the path in the forest was covered with a blanket of darkness. Upagupta found his way to a certain tree and sat down to meditate.

It happened at that time that a famous dancer was going through the same forest to meet her beloved. The darkness was so thick that she could not see where she was going. She was still trying to feel the track underfoot when she bumped into Upagupta.

Oh!" she exclaimed. "Who is this human being?"

Just then there was a flash of lightning. In that flash she saw the person she had accidentally come up against.

"Such a beautiful person is sitting there," she thought. "So calm and serene he is. His lovely face and body look as though they were carved out of pure marble. Oh, if I get this man, this will be heaven on earth!"

She was proud of her beauty. She was the most famous dancer of her time and men would flock to her feet. She said, "You are so calm. You have such radiance. Please come with me."

When he did not respond, she shook him and said, "You are meditating on what? See who I am!" Upagupta recognized the dancer. "I know who you are. But this is not the time, though I know that you love me. You go on your way. I will see you one day."

The dancer thought, "He knows I love him, he says. Then why delay?"

So she spoke to him again. "What is the reason for postponing? It will be too late. This is the right time."

He answered, "I know it, but the right time has not come in the right way. I promise you I will meet you. And remember, as you love, I too love. When it is the right time, I will come."

The dancer thought he was not in his right mind. And she went on.

Youth is like lightning, like a shadow, like the flow of water, ever-moving, so swift. Ten years passed. The dancer had overused her energy of youth and was now exhausted. She had not taken care of her body and was now suffering from a skin disease. She was trembling with fever and there were blisters on her skin. Nobody would even look at her, and the king drove her from the town. She was compelled to go out to a deserted village and live in a tiny hovel. There she was wasting away, crying and alone.

The time was right and a man came to see her there. He took her head in his lap. She was shivering with fever as he applied medicine to her sores, mouth, and head.

"Who are you?" she mumbled.

"I am Upagupta. Do you remember? I promised you. I love you. I have come to take care of you."

"Now I don't have anything to offer you," she moaned.

"No," he told her, "at that time you had something to offer which was transient, something which you yourself could not keep. Now you have something real to offer. I love that which is not going to go. Our relation is for that. It is the relation of soul.

"In the glamour and ego of the past years, you did not realize the changing nature of all that--of your body, beauty, wealth, and your circle of partying friends. They were all there because there was that need. They were feeding it and now that need is over. My need is not that. Mine is the need of the soul." (Story courtesy: 12 reflections by Chitrabhanu Maharaj).

The true love is universal. But to understand the true love you have to remain in tune with your soul. The true love is connected by the level of soul. The soul is permanent. It is not connected by the level of bodies, because the body, our relatives etc are transient. Every living being has soul and if you will remain in tune with your soul, you will love every living being of the universe. You will respect every form of life and thus you will never harm any living being. Those who can distinguish what is transient and permanent, he never reacts on hate and love that he receives from the people. He remains neutral in every condition. Like Lord Parshva who remained equal to both Indra and Kamath. Indra praised him and Kamath tortured him. The soul’s upliftment toward emancipation starts from this level of equanimity.

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)