To revert to the
subject under consideration, it will be observed that the arrangement of
the
Gunasthan is based not upon
any artificial division of the 'path', but upon the natural effects
observable in the being who takes himself scientifically in hand to
control his destiny. No serious student of religion stands in need of
being told that of all kinds of
Tapa
the Antaranga
is the principal cause of emancipation, though the physical control of the
bodily functions and organs is also necessary for bringing the wandering
Manas
(the organ of desires) under subjection. It follows from this that the
best results can only flow from a system which scientifically deals with
the subject of internal Tapa,
and that no method which ignores or minimizes the importance of this most
important department of self- training can ever be relied upon as a means
for escape from the bondage of
karmas. Applying these
observations to the non-Jaina systems of
Tapa
(yoga), it can be seen at a glance that none of them is possessed of that
scientific validity which alone can be depended upon for the realization
of the ideal in view. Indeed, almost all of them in the end leave the
aspiring soul in the greatest uncertainty as to the effect of the
practices enjoined and the exercises laid down by them; and even the more
perfected systems of Hindu yoga--
Jnana
yoga, raja yoga, Bhakti yoga,
Hatha yoga and
karma
yoga-
-do little more than point out the direction in which lies the way out of
the samsara, intersected by paths that certainly do not lead to
Nirvana,
but only to the four Gatis,
or conditions, of life. That the unwary traveler needs something more than
a mere indication of the direction to pick out the right track is a matter
which is not open to dispute; and the importance of accurate scientific
knowledge is an absolute necessity where a single false step might prove
one's undoing. The Jaina
Siddhanta
has throughout kept these principles in view in its schematic arrangement
of the stages on the journey, and the intelligent tyro is merely required
to make himself familiar with the nature of the
karma
prakriti
to know precisely what to do at any particular moment of time in the
course of his onward progress on the Path.
To understand the
philosophy underlying the arrangement of the
Gunasthan,
it is necessary to bear in mind the fact that the attainment of every
ideal requires:
(i) The determination
to know the precise truth, i.e., the proper attitude of inquiry.
(ii) Exact knowledge
of the thing to be attained, together with a steady, unchanging belief, or
faith, in the possibility of its attainment, and
(iii) Exertion in the
right direction, that is the proper conduct.
To put the same thing
in the language of the Jaina Siddhanta, Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and
Right Conduct are the three jewels, which enable their possessor to enter
into the holy Abode of Gods. Of these three, Right Faith*(Samyag
darshan) precedes Right
Knowledge, (Samyag gyan)
while Right Conduct (Samyag
Charitra)
is a characteristic of those alone who have almost perfected themselves in
wisdom and faith.
(*The word faith, it may
be pointed out here, is a somewhat unsuitable equivalent for the
'Samyag
darsana'
of the Jaina Siddhanta, though usually employed as such. The idea
underlying Samyag
darsana,
described as the cause of
Samyag
Jnana,
is that of a proper insight into the nature of things which is necessary
for the knowledge of truth. The man who acquires this true insight, or
point of view, is characterized by an attitude of mind determined to know
the precise truth at all costs, as distinguished from that which may be
satisfied with half-truths, agreeable to one's preconceived or prejudiced
views. This attitude would naturally give rise to right knowledge in due
course of time, and would it self arise, as stated in Jaina Philosophy, on
the destruction, or quiescence, or partial destruction and dispassionate
judgment. These energies comprise the three kinds of anger, pride, deceit
and greed (Nos. 17-19) and the
anantanu Bandh type of the
four kasayas,
anger, pride, deceit and greed (Nos. 20-23). Thus,
Samyag
darsana
is as much the natural attribute of the soul as
Samyag
Jnana,
and is brought into manifestation by the destruction or loosening of the
karmic bonds.
So far, however, as
faith is concerned, it might signify assent to the word of another or
firmness of belief. It is acquired either as the result of study or
meditation, or under the influence of surroundings, as in the case of
parental religion which men generally adopt without inquiry. Knowledge is,
however, necessary in either case to keep it from wandering away from
rationalism, for faith without knowledge is only a form of fanaticism,
incipient or full fledged.
The casual connection
between knowledge and faith, therefore, is to be found in the fact that
rational faith pre-supposes some sort of intellectual inquiry or
investigation, notwithstanding the fact that right knowledge is itself
dependent on right faith. The dependence of right knowledge on right faith
is evident in respect of those matters at least which fall outside the
province of perception and reason; for such knowledge is a matter of
testimony, and depends on the word of the Teacher, which cannot be
acceptable to those who have yet to evolve out the right faith. It would
thus appear that knowledge and faith are to some extent dependent on each
other; knowledge leading to right faith in the first instance, and right
faith giving rise to right knowledge in the end.
The dependence of
right knowledge on right
darsana
implies that no true insight can be had into the nature of things without
it. It is not to be supposed that there is no difference whatever between
the knowledge of a man endowed with right faith and of him who is involved
in Mithyatva.
There is, no doubt, a superficial resemblance between their ideas, to some
extent, but that is confined to the surface of things. For instance, they
may both know consciousness to be the distinguishing feature of life, but
it is the true believer alone who also knows it to be an independent
reality, eternal, undying and capable of enjoying the freedom and joy of
Gods. This knowledge is not shared by the other man, who is, consequently,
debarred from striving to obtain the bliss and blessedness pertaining to
divinity, since no one ever tries for that which he does not know or
believe to be attainable, or true.) Hence, the earliest stages of the
journey are necessarily those, which mark the transition from the state of
settled wrong convictions to the acquisition of true faith.
The next thing to be
attended to is conduct without which it is not possible to realize the
ideal in view. Hence the remaining
Gunasthan
are the landmarks on the path of progress in respect of Right Conduct. The
eight and the ninth stages are also characterized by increased meditation,
hence concerned in the advancement of knowledge; but to follow the
teaching of the Siddhanta
on the still higher rungs of the ladder, it is necessary to remember that
perfection in conduct means neither more nor less than the attainment of
the state of non-desiring which is possible only with the complete
eradication of all those traits which spring from desire.
Now, desire signifies
greed, the immediate cause of deceitfulness. Greed also leads to pride by
focusing attention on the physical personality and by augmenting the sense
of agouti; and pride and greed combined give birth to anger. Thus, greed
is the root of the remaining three forms of
kasayas
(passions) and the most difficult mental trait to be destroyed. It cannot
be eradicated before the twelfth stage for this reason. Omniscience is
manifested in the thirteenth stage, while the fourteenth is like an ante-
room to Nirvana.
For facility of reference we give the main features of the
Gunasthan
in the accompanying tabulated form.