Quotations From Scriptures:
Selections from SAMAN SUTTAM(1)
Introduction
Jainism places great importance on rational perception (SAMYAK DARSHAN), rational knowledge (SAMYAK JNAAN) and rational conduct (SAMYAK CHAARITRA). According to Jainism, conduct devoid of rational perception and rational knowledge amounts to meaningless ritualism. Bhagwaan Mahaveer imparted his message to all through his conduct. In celebration of the twenty-six-hundredth birth anniversary of Bhagwaan Mahaveer, we should make a determination to adopt rational conduct rather than ritualism and exhibitionism.
The quotations from SAMAN SUTTAM on rational perception and rational knowledge were presented in the July 1998 and January 2001 issues, respectively. Experiential (VYAVAHAAR) rational conduct was presented in the July 2001 issue. The quotations from SAMAN SUTTAM on realistic (NISHCHAYA) rational conduct are given below.
Realistic rational conduct:
NICHCHHAYANAYASSA AEVAM APPA APPAMMI APPANE SURADO |SO HODI HU SUCHARITTO JOEI SO LAHAI NIVVAANAM |268|
From the realistic viewpoint, rational conduct implies
blissful absorption in the intrinsic attributes of the pure soul,
in the attributes such as rational perception and rational knowledge;
such rational conduct brings genuine happiness and salvation.
From the realistic viewpoint, rational conduct entails enjoying the intrinsic attributes, rational perception and rational knowledge, of a pure soul.
Adopting rational conduct:
JAM JAANIOON JOEI PARIHAARAM KUNAI PUNNAPAAVAANAM |TAM CHAARITTAM BHANIYAM AVIYAPPAM KAMMARAHIAEHIM |269|
An aspirant, mindful of realistic rational conduct,
refrains from all inauspicious and auspicious activities;
thus, realistic rational conduct entails absence of skepticism
and avoidance of all sensual and materialistic endeavors.
Further, realistic rational conduct requires one to refrain from all undesirable (ASHUBH) and desirable (SHUBH) physical, verbal and mental activities, including desires for sensual pleasures.
Repudiating rational conduct:
JO PARADAVVAMMI SUHAM ASUHAM RAAGEN KUNADI JADI BHAAVAM |SO SAG CHARITTA BHATTHO PARACHARIYACHARO HAVADI JEEVO |270|
On the other hand, an individual who indulges in external objects,
has attachment and aversion regarding desirable and undesirable,
such an individual is totally devoid of rational conduct,
involved in superficial and extrinsic things, not in self.
An individual who is involved in undesirable (ASHUBH) and desirable (SHUBH) objects has likes and dislikes and so he/she indulges in external superficial ritualistic activities. Such an individual has attachment and aversion, not rational conduct.
Rational conduct - enjoyment of attributes of a pure soul:
JO SAVVASANGAMUKKO-ANNANAMANO APPANAM SAHAAVEN |JAANADI PASSADI NIYADAM SO SAGACHARIYAM CHARADI JEEVO |271|
One who is free from all possessions, internal as well as external,
focuses on the intrinsic attributes of perception and knowledge,
perceives and knows the self, unambiguously and with certainty,
enjoins rational conduct and is the master of one's own character.
Rational conduct consists in renouncing all kinds of possessions, enjoying the pristine qualities of soul, and being the master of one's inherent nature.
Childish conduct:
PARAMATTHAMHI DU ATHIDO JO KUNADI TAVAM VADAM CHA DHAAREI |TAM SAVVAM BAALATAVAM BAALAVADAM BINTI SAVVANHU |272|
A person who observes vows and performs penance,
but who does not aspire and endeavor for spiritualism,
indulges in childish penance and fruitless vows;
this has been elucidated by the omniscient sages.
Religious observances such as vows, penance and fasting, ritualistically performed without an intensive quest of spiritualism are futile. They constitute childish penance (BAAL TAPAH) according to the omniscient.
Irrational conduct:
MAASE MAASE TU JO BAALO KUSAGGENAM TU BHUNJAE |NA SO SUKKHAAYADHAMMASSA KALAM AGGHAI SOLASIM |273|
One may observe fasts for month after month,
one may eat only a tiny amount of food after fasting,
but, without realizing genuine spiritualism, one does not
attain even one-sixteenth fraction of auspicious religion.
An individual, who fasts for months and takes only a tiny portion of food after the fasts, but who is oblivious of the nature of reality including the self, attains little spiritual progress. This is a strong message against our ritualistic practices.
Rational conduct and equanimity:
CHAARITTAM KHALU DHAMMO DHAMMO JO SO SAMO TTI NIDDITTHO |MOHAKKHOHAVIHEENO PARINAAMO APPANO HU SAMO |274|
Indeed, realistic rational conduct is religion,
this religion consists in the state of equanimity,
the feelings of equanimity - balanced state of mind,
originate from the self, devoid of delusion and remorse.
The essence of religion is rational conduct which, in turn, is repose in equanimity. The thoughts and feelings free from delusion and remorse comprise rational conduct. A balanced state of mind is rational conduct.
Equanimity and other virtues:
SAMADA TAH MAJJHATTHAM SUDDHO BHAAVO YA VEEYARAAYATTAM |TAH CHAARITTAM DHAMMO SAHAAV-AARAAHANA BHANIYA |275|
The synonyms of religion that ingrain inner peace are equanimity,
rational conduct, indifference toward auspicious and ominous,
purity of thoughts and feelings, freedom from likes and dislikes,
and concentration on the innate pristine qualities of soul.
Rational conduct is synonymous with equanimity, indifference toward all means of pleasure and pain, purity of thoughts and feelings, and contemplation on the intrinsic attributes of soul.
Pure consciousness constitutes rational conduct:
SUVIDIDAPAYATTHASUTTO SANJAMATAVASANJUDO VIGADARAAGO |SAMANOSAMASUHADUKKHO BHANIDO SUDDHOVAO OTTI |276|
A self-reliant person who understands the real nature of things,
who exercises self-restraint and performs penance,
who maintains composure in happiness and sorrow, and
who is beyond attachment, possesses pure consciousness.
One who discerns between the self and the external objects, and who practices self-restraint, penance and equanimity, possesses perfectly resolute state of mind.
Self-endeavor and rational conduct:
SUDDHASSA YA SAAMANNAM BHANIYAM SUDDHASSA DANSANAM NAANAM |SUDDHASSA YA NIVVAANAM SO CHCHIYA SIDDHO NAMO TASSA |277|
Pure consciousness, rational conduct, is self-reliance,
it encompasses rational perception and knowledge;
such rationalism constitutes the path to salvation;
reverence to SIDDHAs who have attained the pristine state.
An individual attains self-reliance through rational conduct - pure consciousness. Rational conduct includes rational perception and rational knowledge, which is the path to salvation. I revere those who have attained such pristine state (SIDDHATTVA).
Supreme bliss:
AISAYAMAADASAMUTTHAM VISAYAATEEDAM ANOVAMAMANANTAM |AVVUCHCHHINNAM CHA SUHAM SUDDHUV-OGAPPASIDDHAANAM |278|
Attained through pure perfect cognitive faculty of self,
all pristine souls enjoy supreme inimitable bliss,
which is everlasting and beyond sensual pleasures, and
emerges from perception and knowledge inherent in the soul.
The pristine state of a soul, attained through pure self-endeavor, brings supreme bliss, which is beyond all sensual pleasures and which arises from the innate qualities of perception and knowledge of soul.
Rational conduct and stoppage of karmic influx:
JASSA NA VIJJADI RAAGO DOSO MOHO VA SAVVADAVVESU |NA-AASAVADI SUHAM ASUHAM SAMASUHADUKKHASSA BHIKKHUSSA |279|
A monk does not possess attachment and aversion,
he does not have delusion about various entities either,
he maintains equanimity in pleasure and pain,
therefore, he does not accumulate good or bad karma.
One who does not indulge in attachment and aversion, who has renounced delusion, and who possesses equanimity, does not accumulate undesirable or desirable karma. This is the way to liberation from the miseries of worldly existence.
Synthesis of realistic and experiential rational conduct
Experiential rational conduct leads to realistic rational conduct:
NICHCHHAYA SAJJHASAROOVAM SARAAYA TASSEV SAAHANAM CHARANAM |TAMHA DO VI YA KAMASO PADICHCHHAMAANAM PABUCHJHEH |280|
Realistic rational conduct is the ultimate goal in life,
while experiential rational conduct is the means to achieve it;
both realistic and experiential conducts unfold gradually,
and eventually the individual attains enlightenment.
Experiential rational conduct consists of the practice of virtues such as nonviolence, truth and non-possessiveness, and of religious observances like fasting, prayer, worship and charity. This is the means to gradually achieve realistic rational conduct, leading to peace of mind and happiness in life and eventual liberation.
External conduct depends on virtuous thoughts and feelings:
ABBHANTARASODHEEAE BAAHIRASODHI VI HODI NIYAMEN |ABBHANTARADOSEN HU KUNADI NARO BAAHIRE DOSE |281|
When the inner self attains righteousness and virtue,
the external physical being invariably cultivates merit,
if the thoughts and feelings of an individual are blemished,
he/she unequivocally indulges in vitiated activities.
When we inculcate virtues by having auspicious thoughts and feelings, our physical activities invariably become righteous. On the other hand, if we have undesirable ideas and intentions, our activities become tarnished.
Passions and rational conduct:
MADAMAANAMAAYALOHA-VIVAJJIYABHAAVO DU BHAAVASUDDHI TTI |PARIKAHIYAM BHAVVAANAM LOYAALOYAPPADARISEEHIM |282|
Purity of thoughts and feelings entails avoiding
passions such as ego, pride, deceit and greed;
such is the teaching of the omniscients,
who have a clear perception of entire reality.
We can attain purity of thoughts and feelings by renouncing passions of anger, pride, deceit and greed. This is the teaching of the omniscient.
Delusion and rational conduct:
CHATTA PAAVAARAMBHAM SAMUDITTHIDO VA SUHAMMI CHARIYAMHI |NA JAHADI JADI MOHAADI NA LAHADI SO APPAGAM SUDDHAM |283|
An individual who does not relinquish delusion,
while superficially adopting experiential conduct
by renouncing undesirable and immoral activities,
does not achieve spiritual progress and purity of self.
According to the basics of Jainism, delusion (MOHA) is the root cause of our worldly afflictions. Even if we give up immoral activities and thus adopt experiential good conduct, we will not attain spiritual progress unless we renounce delusion.
Undesirable, desirable and pure activities:
JAH VA NIRUDDHAM ASUHAM SUHEN SUHAMAVI TAHEV SUDDHEN |TAMHA AEN KAMEN YA JOEI JHAA-AEU NIYA-AADAM |284|
Desirable activities - good conduct, inhibits undesirable tendencies;
similarly, absolutely pure activities inhibit desirable yoga;
ultimately, abstaining from all undesirable and desirable yoga,
an aspirant concentrates on the pristine attributes of self.
Jainism defines three kinds of yoga - activities of body, speech and mind: undesirable (ASHUBH), which cause the influx of bad karma, desirable (SHUBH), which cause the influx of good karma and pure (SHUDDHA), which lead to stoppage and shedding of karma. An individual, in pursuit of salvation, gradually eliminates even the desirable activities and dwells in the pure attributes of the inner self.
Realistic rational conduct and rationalism:
NICHCHHAYANAYASYA CHARANAAYA-VIGHA-AE NAANADANSANAVAHOAVI |VAVAHAARASSA U CHARANE HAYAMMI BHAYANA HU SESAANAM |285|
A dereliction or fault in one's conduct from realistic viewpoint
invariably leads to a blemish in rational perception and knowledge;
a fault or defect in one's conduct from experiential viewpoint
may or may not impair rational perception and knowledge.
Rational perception, knowledge and conduct are interrelated. Conduct without rational perception and knowledge does not lead to spiritualism. The realistic viewpoint relates to the self - to one's thoughts and feelings, while experiential viewpoint relates to the external activities for most part. Thus a lapse in a physical activity may or may not lead to a fault in rationalism while a blemish in one's thoughts and feelings evidently amounts to irrationalism.
Rational conduct secures salvation:
SADDHAM NAGARAM KICHCHA TAVASAMVARAMAGGALAM |KHANTIM NIUNAPAAGAARAM TIGUTTAM DUPPADHAMSAYAM |286|
TAVANAARAAYAJUTTEN BHITTOONAM KAMMAKANCHUYAM |
MUNI VIYAGASANGAAMO BHAVAAO PARIMUCHCHAE |287|
An aspirant settles in the arena of rationalism and
secures the goal through penance and stoppage of karma,
shields the aspiration by means of equanimity and
guards the intention through control of body, speech and mind.In this manner, through meditation and penance,
the aspirant achieves spiritual progress and salvation,
by shedding the mantle of karmas screening the pristine soul;
this is the auspicious vision of ultimate liberation of self.
In the above two couplets, the auspicious enterprise of spiritual uplift and ultimate salvation has been described in terms of similes and metaphors. Essentially, the process of liberation has been compared with the endeavor of a brave soul to remove the mantle of karmic matter, which has been compared to an 'enemy armor'. The aspirant dwells in rationalism, safeguards the self by stopping the karmic influx (SAMVAR) through penance, reinforces one's determination by regulating yoga, the activities of body, speech and mind, and ultimately sheds all karmic matter with the arch of penance. According to the Jain scriptures, penance leads to both stoppage of karmic influx (SAMVAR) and shedding of karmic matter (NIRJARA).
To summarize, conduct attended by rational perception and knowledge, leads to salvation.
Footnote:
1. SAMAN SUTTAM is a compilation of 756 verses representing the sum and substance of Jain scriptures of Digambar as well as Shwetambar traditions. It was published by Sarva Seva Sangh, Rajghat, Varanasi, on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of Bhagwaan Mahaveer's Nirvana on April 24, 1975. In 1993, an edition of SAMAN SUTTAM containing an English translation of the verses was published by Sarva Seva Sangh, Rajghat, Varanasi.