Shri Girnar Jain temple Complex

Bhasvate harivamshadri srishikhamaNaye namaha|

Dvavimsha tirtha sachchakranemaye arishtanemaye||
Harivamsha PuraNa- 1-24
Hail Arishta Nemi,  the radiator of knowledge, 
the zenith among Harivamsha ranges and 
the propagator of 22nd unconquerable Wheel of Dharma.
 I BOW MY HEAD TO THE MASTERS
OF JAINOLOGY.
I ADORE THEIR WORDS AND DEEDS.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SOURCE
FOR THIS TALK.
MAY THEY BLESS AND GUIDE ME TO
SELF-AWAKENING AND LIBERATION.
 This talk was given on 28th Dec 2004
to the Faculty of Humanities, Sardar Patel Univ., Anand
and
At the Sri Jain Temple, Anand.
I am extremely indebted to
Prof. I.L. Kothari,
Professor, Dept. Biosciences, SP Univ, Anand
and
Dr. Satyabrata Maiti,
Director,
National Research Centre on Medicinal & Aromatic
Plants, Borivile
For facilitating these talks and
Master Sanjog Maiti for his help in preparing the slides
 JAINOLOGY
&
SELF-AWAKENING
Dr. C. Devakumar
Principal Scientist
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi-110 012
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

COSMOS
There is an eternal universe or cosmos. It is
neither created nor will ever disappear in any
time in any manner.
It is constituted of six substances of eternal nature.
– Soul
– Matter
– Medium of motion
– Medium of rest
– Space
– Time particles
Each one is independent in its function but
dependent as a cosmic citizen.
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

SOUL AND MATTER

• Soul: They are infinite in number. Their special
characteristic is consciousness. Knowing itself and
others. The soul alone has the cognitive function. So
other five are non-souls. Since it has the cognitive
property, it is supreme among all. The communication
between you and me is the communication of souls.
So in Jainology, soul is supreme and is of utmost
importance.
• Matter: The building block of all physical world.
Material particles are infinite times infinite in number
and perhaps even in varieties. High energy particles
like quarks, sub-atomic particles, atoms and
molecules, radiation etc are matter. They interact due
to collision, attraction and repulsion.
Only souls and matter are active, reactive and interactive.
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

INERT CONSTITUENTS
3. Medium of motion: An inert substance which catalyses the
motion of soul and matter. Just like water for fish.
• Medium of rest: An inert substance which catalyses the rest of
soul and matter. Just like friction.
• Space: An inert substance capable of providing space to itself
and other substances.
• Time particles: Each particle occupies a space-point in the
universe in a linear manner and thus there are innumerable time
particles in the universe. The movement of soul and matter
through time-axis enables measurement in temporal scale and
velocity of the moving substance. The concept of past, present
and future is thus real.
Fourier transformation between frequency and time is a proof of
its real existence.
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES of

souls
. Freed existence (self)
• Bonded existence: bonded with matter called karma
particles.
Bonded souls exist in four states (gati):
celestial, human, animal-plant and infernal.
Transmigration between states occurs all the time.
Birth and death are two sides of a same coin.
Death signals end of one particular life and the
beginning of another life of a same soul.
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

Liberation from Bonded state is

our concern
1. Bonded existence is unreal.
2. It is transient.
3. It is subjected to material changes which are not of
any relation with soul.
4. Matter is devoid of knowledge and so soul’s
association with matter is inferior.
5. This causes ups and downs. The bonded soul feels
pain and suffering.
6. There is no shelter or escape from transmigration
within bonded existence.
7. You have no choice to pick and choose your state.
 JAINOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

What if Liberation from Bonded state

1. Freed existence is real.

2. It is permanent and would never return
back to bonded state.
3. It is blissful state par excellence.
4. It is Independent and has absolute freedom.
5. You have nothing to do. Nothing to worry.
6. Nothing in the universe can match this
state in any manner whatsoever.
 SELF-AWAKENING

What perpetuates bonded

existence?
1. Moha or delusion about one’s identity.
Impersonation. Misidentity with physical
matter as your own is the root cause.
2. Superimposed with the ignorance of souls’
infinite capacity of knowledge.
3. Unbecoming behaviour as a result of
delusion and ignorance compounds
perpetual bonded existence.
 SELF-AWAKENING
What sustains bonded existence?
1. Forgetting one’s own identity, the bonded soul
relies on bonded effects as its own.
2. What are they?
It identifies mind, five senses and the body as a
part of itself or itself.
Being material in nature, they get attracted to
matter. Like attracts like. constraint of other
factors in making material availability leads to
pleasure and pain; passions like anger, hurt, deceit
and greed.
5. This becomes self-breeding machine of new
karmas. A perpetual self-feeding karma cycle thus
goes on and on.
 SELF-AWAKENING
Three Types of expressions of
bonded souls
• In terms of material transaction. The soul assumes to be
master of all actions and tries to control all material and
physical actions to its whims and fancies. He tries all sorts of
tricks to make them happen the way he wants it.
b) in terms of reaction to karmic effect such as feelings of pain
and relief.
Assuming to be a part of bonded life and relations, he/she
becomes happy if something good happens to him/ his kith
and kin and cries on the contrary.
c) in terms of its consciousness. he realizes the futility of
ownership of things and persons which he has no control.
He perceives pain and pleasure as two sides of material
world and not his own.
2. First two ways perpetuates accumulation of fresh karma
3. Third way wards off karma.
 SELF-AWAKENING

What is the RIGHT PATH?

1. Disown the forces of delusion and ignorance as your own.
2. Antidote to these two poisons are right perception and right
knowledge.
3. By right perception we mean global vision. Having faith in
the existence of a soul in a bonded body and respecting its
identity and capacity to liberate.
4. By right knowledge, impurities of sensory knowledge viz.
doubt, illusion and delusion are discarded. Irrespective of the
apparent sources of information, you go to the bottom of the
truth. Knowledge originates from soul. Soul is devoid of
these defects and so you isolate them and see the truth. That
is right knowledge.
 SELF-AWAKENING METHODS
ROAD TO LIBERATION
1. Have Right faith. This is attained by developing interest in
Jainology.
2. Adore passion-free state. This is possible by deep meditation
of soul’s attributes.
3. Trust that sensory pleasures as transients and doorway to
doomsday. Adore the path of complete renunciation of
material attributes and its compound effect.
4. Regulate your senses, mind and body towards your soul. Let
them serve the causes of soul.
5. Enrich your lifestyle with attributes of soul.
compassion, forgiveness, humility, truth, service to fellow
beings in terms of dedication of commonwealth,
transparency, non-stealing, non-greed etc.
 SELF-AWAKENING STEPS

YOU MAKE YOUR DESTINY

1. Remember, you are the sole master of your destiny.
2. Always remember that your soul is permanent but your state
is temporary. Given the choice, vote for the cause of soul in
preference to the state.
3. You do not have to bring down your Self-prestige in the
name of kith and kin, country and community.
4. Extend hand of friendship to all beings, eulogise the
noblemen and deeds, sympathise with the cause of poor,
sick, old and downtrodden and accommodate opposition
with magnanimity.
5. Forbear the obstacles as the fruition of past karma. Don’t get
shattered when the tempest of karma sweeps you. Keep your
feet firm. Remain aloof from the feelings of pain and
pleasure.
 SELF-AWAKENING
Daily codes of conduct
 Worship the freed souls or those on the path to
freedom.
 Render service to Sacred scriptures.
 Be in the company of noble people.
 Meditate on the souls’ attributes.
 introspect your daily activities and repent for any
transgression.
 Pray and resolve not to repeat the same mistake.
 Always praise the worthy.
 ignore negative thoughts, words and deeds
circulating around you.
 Always adore sweet and pious talk.
 The Self-Awakened State
(The Tamil ode beginning “YAdum Ore YAvarum KeLir” by GaNiyan
PongunRanAr = Acharya of Flowerhills, circa 2 AD)
We are the citizens of the Universe; each
organism is our pedigree.
Good and evil do not proceed from others.
Suffering and soothing are mere faces of a
coin.
Even death is not new!
Neither go we overboard with events calling
pleasant,
Nor would get depressed galling them
unpleasant.
Just as a raft carried through the rocky course
of a river mighty,
Our peerless soul tumbled through the flow of
transmigration.