The Science of Discrimination

The greatest achievement of human birth is the realization of the self. In order to realize what we are, who we are, we need to distinguish the self from the non-self. The greatest mistake of a soul is non-recognition of its real self and can only be corrected by recognizing the self, said Lord Mahavir. We all have identified the non-self as the self and that’s why we are all miserable. Because of the lack of true knowledge of the soul and the fully accomplished status of the soul we seek happiness from the external objects. According to our belief we need happiness from the outside world. Realizing the true nature of the soul and the fully accomplished status of the soul we come to know that we were actually inviting misery that is masked with illusory happiness. From the absolute perspective nothing is required to complete our happiness. The soul is filled with infinite bliss. All we need is to turn our vision towards the soul. For this we first need to develop faith to the existence of the soul and then remain stable and in tune with the self leads to self-realization.

Meditation starts with self enquiry when the seeker asks mentally, “Who am I?” Repeating this again and again one realizes that, I am not this body. Since infinite births we have recognized our body as our self. So going deeper in meditation we realize that this body is made of numerous atoms. Be it the mind or the senses, everything is ultimately made of minutest particles. There is no clear answer in science about how atoms can generate consciousness. If we say, I am the mind, then we become wrong when we say I am running, I am eating, etc because it’s not the mind who runs or eats but it’s our legs that runs, it’s our teeth that chews. Now, if we say I am the hands, the legs then again the problem will arise when we say I am the one who thinks because the mind (or the brain) does not eat, drink or run.

Those who go deeper in meditation and self contemplation realize that the self is one. This does mean that the self is unbroken or whole. It’s not made of different substances or different parts. The hands, the legs, the senses are seem to be different parts and each has their own functions. Then who’s the ultimate knower behind the functions of mind and the senses?

According to the Jain seers, the soul has four attributes, Infinite Knowledge, Infinite Perception, Infinite Power and Infinite Bliss. On the other hand the body (pudagal or matter) has different qualities viz. touch, taste, odor and color. Now we can see that both the substance have different qualities and there is no relation between the two. The self-soul is the knower seer and all other souls and matters outside us are the subject to be known and perceived by the soul. There is a beautiful story in Jain history that makes the picture of the self and the non-self clear for us.

Once there lived a man who had only son. Once, his son became sick and as days passed his sickness became stronger. All the doctors gave up hope of saving his son. Now it was the last day of his son’s life and he was lying on bed in the courtyard of his house. All the neighbors were present and the boys’ father was crying. None of the neighbors was able to stop his father.

Soon a Jain monk was passing by the house and he saw the gathering of people and enquired about what was happening. When he came to know the fact he had decided to make the man enlightened about the fact of the difference between body and soul. So he approached the man and asked, “Why are you crying?” The man said, “Can’t you see this? My only son is on bed and is going to die.”

The monk asked, “Where is your son? I can’t see him; can you please point out him?” The man in amazement pointed his finger to his son and said, “There he is!”

The monk asked again, “Where is he? That’s not your son, but his leg!” The man now pointing to his son’s hand said, “There he is!” The monk replied, “That’s not your son but his hand!” The man then pointed every part of his son’s body and the monk continued to reject his son’s existence in all those parts of his body.

The man finally said, “Oh monk! This entire body is my son!” The monk holding this point said, “Oh man! If this entire body is your son then why are you worried? You can preserve this body even after your son dies!” The man now was shocked knowing this fact that his son isn’t this mere body. He heard about the soul once in his life so he then said to the monk, “Oh Monk! The soul is my son!” The monk replied, “Oh man! If the soul is your son then there is no need to worry, because the soul is an uncreated entity. It was never born and it is never going to die. Be sure about this fact and come out from agony”.

The man and his son now realized the fact. The man became calm and his son now realizing the soul died peacefully and took birth into higher existence.

From this example we realize the existence of the soul being separate from matter (body). However below are the steps for self-realization and attainment of the option-less meditative state. Scriptural knowledge of the soul and experience of the soul are two different things. Right Perception cannot be attained through Scriptural knowledge only. One requires developing faith in the knowledge of a soul and then through meditation and other austerities self realization can be gained.

The seeker, who has now faith on the scriptural knowledge, first contemplates on the nature of the soul. Then he thinks about different natures of soul and matter. He then ignores which is not related with the soul, like the body, karma body, luminous body etc and at last whatever remains is the pure consciousness. Now the seeker, contemplates, “This is my real self, I am pure, I am liberated, I am eternal, I am knower-seer.” Gradually, while in tune with such contemplations he gets rid of mental thoughts and experiences bliss. After a short while he experiences the pure soul. His all energy is now focused in this experience and he gets rid of all kind of options. 

ACTIVITY AND INACTIVITY

People in the world have false impact about the real meaning of Activity. People live with affliction and disturbance and that is because of seeking happiness from material things. Be it a tiny insect or a human, all appear to be active in seeking pleasure. Such activity is polluted with attachment and aversion and that’s why it causes bondage. The sole reason of wandering in the cycle of rebirths is because of our activity in wrong things. That is why Lord Mahavir has shown the path of Inactivity. Stopping the influx of karma (samvar) is at centre in the spiritual path of Lord Mahavir. Engaging in worldly activity means to connect the self with the non-self. Disengaging from such activity does mean reuniting with the self, the pure soul. That can also be termed as “Introspection” or Pratikramana. Whenever there is feeling of inactivity there sprouts peace within.

In recent times, those who seek liberation can be seen doing too many activities. Today, all the monks in the Jain monastery are absorbed in external austerities like fasting and all. Their head monks usually take advantage of blindness of the new seeker. They create their own styles of austerity and force the new seeker to practice them. The fact is there is nothing to do for liberation except staying in tune with the pure soul. Stopping the influx of fresh karma (the influx of karmic atoms), is Inactivity. This is the state of complete non-doing, or do nothing except remaining or being fully conscious in the self-soul. Here the seeker becomes still and attains firmness in meditation. He becomes non-doer and becomes just a knower-seer (gyata-drashta) and remains unaffected and undisturbed by the outside world. Here he attains absolute bliss and does both Samvar-Nirjara (stoppage of karma and eradication of previously acquired karma) at a same time. 

KAYOTSARG

Tirthankar Parshvanath shown in Kayotsarg posture

Kayotsarg means to give up one's physical comfort and body movements, thus staying steady, either in a standing or any other posture, and concentrating upon the true nature of the soul as being separate from the body. Kayotsarg literally means abandonment of body, thoughts and mind and get absorbed only in the conscious self. It also means self-awareness by complete relaxation and inactivity.


Normally the practitioner takes a comfortable posture either lying down or sitting or standing and breathes calmly. Then self suggest each and every part and entity of the body to be relaxed and feel the same. Once the body is completely relaxed, the practitioner practices to realize separate existence of soul from body and then forget about the body and practices to identify the Self. Then one practices of complete awareness of the self without any hindrance.

Kayotsarg can be practiced in standing, sitting or lying down posture. Essential thing is to maintain the immobility of the body. A standing meditative posture was more common in olden days. A posture, easy to follow but difficult to practice. It is also called ‘urdhva Kayotsarg’. Kayotsarg or body abandonment posture. Standing like this, completely immobile with arms hanging free from the body, was considered a form of severe penance. It also shows that they were following the doctrine of ahimsa or non-violence, since by keeping still they could not harm any creatures, even accidentally.

In ancient times, the method of practicing Kayotsarg comprised of bodily relaxation. Practicing Kayotsarg with an awareness of inbreathing and out-breathing results in greater concentration and relaxation. Concentration is essential for practicing Kayotsarg, even though, Kayotsarg in itself is an exercise for increasing concentration. Synchronized with respiration, Kayotsarg becomes even more effective. Kayotsarg means 'rising above the body'. As one transcends the body, there is a falling off in the consciousness of outer phenomena. That is the right occasion for practicing anupreksha (contemplation) or auto-suggestion. As long as the conscious mind is active and gross consciousness operates, the practice of contemplation or autosuggestion is not wholly effective. But when a human goes deep into him/herself, a new event transpires.

All Tirthankars are depicted in Kayotsarg posture

Kayotsarg is typical to Jin spirituality. Historically, evidence of the same has been found even amongst the Indus Valley Civilization. Prof. Ram Prasad Chanda, who supervised Indus Valley Civilization excavations, states in his article Mohenjo-Daro: Sindh 5000 Years Ago in Modern Review (August, 1932) that, “Not only the seated deities on some of the Indus seals are in Yoga posture and bear witness to the prevalence of Yoga in the Indus Valley Civilization in that remote age, the standing deities on the seals also show Kayotsarg (a standing or sitting posture of meditation) position. The Kayotsarg posture is peculiarly Jain. It is a posture not of sitting but of standing. In the Adi Purana Book XV III, the Kayotsarg posture is described in connection with the penance of Rishabha, also known as Vrsabha.

Majority of the Jin followers of ancient world preferred to meditate in a standing posture. It was an exercise that required training, practice, and willpower. According to Hemchandra’s Yogshastra, provides one of the earliest lists of actual Yoga pose’s, all of which entail asana in the literal sense of sitting or standing: paryankasana, virasana, vajrasana, abjasana, bhadrasana, dandasana, utkatikasana, godohikasana, and Kayotsargasana. Kayotsarg, the last listed pose, carries a twofold distinction. First, it describes that the arms need to hang down (pramlambitabhujadvandam) and that one needs to stand in an attitude of equanimity toward the body (stanam kayanapeksam). Second, this pose, like the practice of the five vows, is said to deliver one into a state of bodily control: When the body of an ascetic remains immobile as he dwells in the posture called ‘abandoning the body’ (Kayotsarg)…this is said to be control of the body.

Hemachandra gives considerable attention to the five breaths, specifying their location and color.  He also relates the breaths to the elements. For Hemachandra, the mind and breath cannot be separated: Where the mind is there is the breath, and where the breath is there the mind is. Accordingly, they both have the same activity, mixed like milk and water.

If the practitioner of Yoga controls the breath, the mind comes under control, which is the key to liberation: When one of the two ceases to function, the other also ceases. When is active, the other is also active. When both activities stop, liberation results on account of the cessation of sensory impressions.

The centrality of breath in releasing one from discomfort and dissatisfaction (duhkh) cannot be overstated. The Yogshastra describes a mind-body continuum involving ethics, postures, breathing, and meditation. The Yogshastra describes the physical placement of lips, eyes, teeth, and countenance during meditation, and specifies that the meditator should face either east or north.

To practice standing meditative pose, choose a place where you are least disturbed. Stand still; initially you may take the support of a wall or pillar. Once you are used to standing without any movement you may not require any support at all. Next relax completely. Stand still! It will take a lot of practice to be still without any internal or external movement or wanting to move. When you are still physically, your internal body equilibrium may not be still. This too needs to be made still and only practice can make your body go absolutely immobile internally as well externally.

Once this motionless form is achieved, you should not feel your body. The only aspect of awareness will be your mind, your breath. The next aspect is to concentrate on breathing, pick any form that you are most comfortable with and get it into a rhythm. Ease your breathing and relax your body to the level that you do not feel it. Let go off all thoughts and even awareness. Once that is achieved, start concentrating on pure meditation. This is a start, when it is accomplished, aim for deeper form of meditation while standing. 

Written By: Dhara Kothari

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What is "Not Doing"?

It is putting the mind aside, seeing without any prejudice, without any prior conclusion, without any conclusion at all. When our eyes are functioning just like mirrors, simply reflecting that which IS, neither condemning it nor appreciating it... when our eyes are non-judgmental, when we don't say, "This is good, this is bad. This should be, this should not be" -when we don't say anything, we don’t react, we simply reflect... then we see that which is -- otherwise not, ordinarily not. WE [our false ‘EGO”] have to disappear to see the reality as it is. If we are there, the more we are there, the less we see the real.

Three Pronouncements (Tripadi)

The cosmos is both static and ever-changing. So it is difficult to express reality in language or in one sentence. To express in language to those who are unenlightened, the Jain seers expounded the Principle of Non-Absolutism. This principle expresses the truth in many ways and the sum of all ways leads to reality. Thus the aspirant grabs the path of purification of his/her soul. But first of all, it is important to learn the picture of the cosmos. The cosmos is made of six substances and all the six are eternal as well as ever changing. Both the eternal and ever changing phases are real. We cannot say that one is real and other is illusory.

Lord Mahavir, the last ford-builder of Jainism (599-527 BCE), shortly after attaining the Absolute Knowledge expounded the philosophy of three phrases to his chief disciple Gautama. These three phrases are known as “Tripadi”. He uttered three words, “Upaneyi Va”, “Vighaneyi Va” and “Dhuvei Va”.

1) Upaneyi Va: EMERGENCE: There emerges a new phase of matter. This is called emergence of new mode.

2) Vighaneyi Va: DISAPPEARANCE: The old mode vanishes. This is called Disappearance of old mode.

3) Dhuveyi Va: PERMANENCE: Original qualities of the matter remain constant.

For example, the essential qualities of matter (pudgal) are, touch, taste, smell, color, odor and energy. Now matter is ultimately made of atomic and subatomic particles. Each subatomic particle has above qualities. Each particle is made of one quality of touch, one quality of color, one quality of taste etc. The one particle combines with other particles and the system of the two subatomic particles is called “Skandha” in the Jain Terminology. This system even cannot be grasped through the senses. Thus the system of innumerable particles becomes “Pradesha”. Such large system can be grasped through the senses. A human body, a stone, a tree, a mountain, a galaxy are the examples of such system and is called matter or pudgal.  The particles combine with other particles and depart with them in a course of some time. Now their combination was the emergence of new phase, their partition was disappearance of that phase but their essential qualities still remain the same is called permanence. The qualities are eternal. Even the modern physicists cannot prove the decay of electron. They have not clear answer to the Big Bang theory.

So from above explanation we can see that the substance maintains its essential qualities in all the three times (infinite past, present and infinite future), and still it undergoes changes. Same thing can be thought in rest of five substances (Souls, Motion, Rest, Space and Time). Below are few simple examples to explain the Emergence, Permanence and Disappearance phenomena of a substance.

(1). A bar of gold has its own original qualities. That bar can be converted into a chain. In that case, the shape of the bar is destroyed and a new shape (chain) has been produced. However the qualities of gold remain unchanged. Now if we melt the chain and make a bangle out of it, then we destroy the chain (an old form) and produce a bangle (a new form). Again the inherent qualities of the gold remain unchanged. Therefore, the bar, chain and the bangle are transient forms (Paryaya) while gold is the matter (Dravya) which remains constant...

(2). A living being through the process of growth, undergoes various changes, such as childhood, youth, and old age. These changes are the natural modifications of the living being. Childhood, youth, and old age are transient forms (Paryaya) of a living being. The soul of the living being is permanent substance (Dravya). Similarly, when we die, we will be born in another body. Therefore, the body is also a transient form while our soul is the permanent substance (Dravya).

(3). A soul is a substance (Dravya) that has innumerable qualities such as knowledge (Jnän), bliss (Änanda) and energy (Virya).  The knowledge quality, for example, may increase or decrease, but there is never a time when the soul is without knowledge; otherwise it would become, by definition, a non-soul, a lifeless material.

According to the Jainism, the number of substances existing at present, were existing in the past and will continue to exist in future. There cannot be any increase or decrease in that number. All the transformations take place according to their properties and potentialities; and in course of time, one form may get destroyed and cease to exist and another form may emerge. But Dravya remains constant. 

PRE REQUIREMENT OF RIGHT KNOWLEDGE BEFORE PENANCE

I salute those who observe long fasts for eradication of karma. But Right Knowledge is essential before practicing fasts and other external austerities. Fast should be observed to attain stability in meditation and the aim should be eradication of karma, if it is not done for such goal then it is all futile.

So it is highly required to gain Right Knowledge from the right spiritual teacher about the Six Substances, Nine Fundamentals, Substance-Essence-Modifications, the Emergence-Destruction-Permanence nature of the substances and knowledge of difference between the self and non-self. The aim behind all penances and meditation should be to achieve non-alternative state of Upayoga, without which our path becomes just practical and further diverts to fame, physical welfare etc and that is not the path of liberation. If one has not known the true nature of the soul being knower-seer apart from the body then one’s practice becomes meaningless and it becomes responsible for the rise of pride, attachment, ego etc. The only solution is the practitioner has to move towards his/her real form, the pure soul.

Our entire practice should be to get rid of physical and mental attachments. The real path is the sum up of both Absolute (knowledge) and Practical (austerities). Practicing both helps the soul to eternal bliss, which is liberation. Fasts and such external austerities are important because it creates a base for the internal austerities. The high amount of karmic atoms eradicates by internal austerities only. That’s why the practitioner should do spiritual meditation during the periods of fasting and should try to be absorbed in his/her soul. Meditation is a must for self realization and the external austerities are practiced to create strong base for it. That is why the enlighten say, “the one practicing just external austerities eradicates the same amount of karma in billions of years which is eradicated in just few seconds by the person who is absorbed in spiritual meditation.” So it is essential to start austerities only after gaining right knowledge, not before that!     

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.