Liberation through Right Effort Only
The question here is
whether effort for liberation materializes according to destiny on advent of
opportune time or on subsidence of delusion, etc. or through one's own
persistent right effort. If the answer be that in materializes on union of
first two causes, then why do you sermonise us? And if it materializes
through right effort, then what is the reason that some are able to make right
effort while others are not able to do so, although all listen the sermon?
Answer: Union of many
causes takes place in accomplishment of one act. So, where the effort for
liberation materializes, there the union of all the three causes is found and
where it does not materialize, there the union of all the three causes is not
found. Amongst the aforesaid three causes, opportune time and destiny are not
any (achievable) entities. The time (moment) of the accomplishment of an act
is its opportune time and the accomplished act itself is the destiny. And the
subsidence, etc. of karmas is the potency of karmic matter, of which the soul
is not the doer or destroyer. And making of right effort for liberation is
the duty of the soul. Therefore, the soul is sermonised to make right effort
for liberation.
If the soul makes
effort for adopting those means through which the accomplishment assuredly
takes place, there the union of other causes is invariably found and the act
is also invariably accomplished. And if the soul adopts such means through
which accomplishment of act may or may not materialize, there if other causes
are met with, then the act gets accomplished and if not met with, then the act
does not materialize.
By the adoption of
means of liberation advocated in Jina's religion, liberation invariably takes
place. Therefore, that Jiva who makes effort for liberation according to the
preachings of omniscient Jina, automatically gets association of opportune
time and destiny and the adoption of such effort is itself the result of
subsidence, etc. of karmas. Therefore, the one who makes right effort for
liberation, invariably gets the union of all other causes and he assuredly
attains Moksha (liberation)- this is to be believed. And the Jiva who does
not make right effort for liberation, for him, the opportune time and destiny
are not there and because the subsidence, etc. of karmas has not taken place
that is why he does not make the right effort. Therefore, one who does not
make the right effort for liberation, to him other causes are also not
available and Moksha (liberation) is not attained by him. Such should be
one's belief.
Question: Many people
listen the sermons but only some can make effort for liberation, some others
cannot make -why is it so?
Answer: The reason is
that those who make right effort by listening the sermons, can adopt the means
of liberation and those who do not make right effort, cannot adopt the means
of liberation. Sermonisation is merely a process of education; the fruit
reaped is always according to the effort made.
Question: Dravyalingi
Muni undergoes religious penances, etc. by renouncing the householder's life
for the sake of attaining liberation. Here, he has made effort but the
objective is not attained; therefore, nothing is accomplished by making
effort.
Answer: How could the
objective be attained by contrary effort? The fruit of indulging
affectionately in penance, etc., form of conventional conduct, is described in
the scripture to be the auspicious bondage of karmas, but he (the Dravyalingi
Muni) wishes to obtain liberation through such effort; how is this possible?
This is mere delusion.
Question: the cause of
delusion, too, is the rise of karmas only. How can effort be fruitful?
Answer: the delusion
is removed on ascertainment (of truth) on the basis of right preachings, but
he (the Drvyalingi Muni) does not make such effort, so the delusion persists.
If he makes effort for ascertainment (of truth) then the rise of Moksha- karma
(deluding karma) which is the cause of delusion also gets subsided and then
delusion is removed, because, in the process of ascertainment, the thoughts
gets purified which results in the reduction of duration and fruit on of Maha-karma.
Question: The reason
why one's Upayoga (active knowledge) does not get engaged in the ascertainment
(of truth) is also the rise of karma?
Answer: The one-sensed
etc. beings do not have the power of thinking; in their case, the rise of
karma is only the reason. But he (the Drvyalingi monk) possesses the power of
thinking, and ascertaining by virtue of Kshayopashama (destruction cum
subsidence) state of Jnanavarana karmas, etc.; wherever he engages his
attention (Upayoga), ascertainment of the same is possible. But he engages
his attention in the ascertainment of other things and does not engage it here
(in the path of liberation), so this is his own fault. There is no role of
karmas in this.
Question: The obscurer
of right belief and right conduct is Moha (deluding karma) how can
right-effort for liberation be possible without its removal?
Answer: Not engaging
one's Upayoga (active knowledge) in ascertaining the Tattvas is his own fault
only. And if through right effort one engages his Upayoga in ascertainment of
Tattvas then, on destruction of Moha karma on its own, the right effort (Purushartha)
for the path of liberation in the form of right belief, etc. materializes.
Therefore, chiefly one should make effort to engage one's Upayoga in the
ascertainment of Tattvas. And whatever sermons are given, they are meant for
effectuating such effort (Purushartha) only, and by such Purushartha, the
Purushartha of liberation would get effectuated on its own.
Further, the
non-ascertainment of Tattvas is not the fault of any karma but your own fault
only; but you pretend to remain faultless and want to put the blame of your
fault on karmas, etc. Such misconduct is not possible for one who claims to
obey Jina's commandment. You wish to continue indulgence in sensual
pleasures; therefore, you are lying. Why would one put up such argument, if
one has real urge for liberation?
Even when you do not
seem to attain your objective in worldly affairs, you continue making effort
in that direction, but here you do not want to make effort, therefore, it is
concluded that you are praising the state of liberation by following others.
You do not believe it to be beneficial after ascertaining its true nature. It
is impossible that one may not make effort for achieving an objective which is
ascertained to be beneficial.
Question: Whatever you
have stated is true but the rise of material karmas (Dravya karmas) causes
passions, etc. disposition (Bhava-karma) and (Bhava-karma) causes the bondage
of Dravyakarma and again its rise causes, Bhava-karma -this has been happening
since eternity. How then the effort for liberation be possible?
Answer: If for all
time, the bondage and rise of material karmas be found to be uniform, then it
can be true, but due to instrumentality of Jiva's dispositions, the formerly
bonded karmas too undergo the process of Utkarshana (increase in duration),
Apskarshana (decrease of duration) and Samkramana (transformation) etc., which
causes reduction and increase in their potency; therefore, their rise
(operation state) also becomes feeble and intense. Due to their
instrumentality, the fresh bondage of karmas also happens to be feeble or
intense. Therefore, due to instrumentality of the rise of karmas, the
manifestation of knowledge, etc. in the mundane beings, sometimes, is found
more and sometimes less; sometimes passions like attachment, etc. become
feeble and sometimes intense. In this way, transmigration continues.
There, sometimes, the
Jiva attains the status of rational five-sensed developed being, then the
power of thinking through mind gets manifested. Such Jiva sometimes is found
having intense attachment, etc. and sometimes feeble. There due to intense
rise of attachment, etc., the indulgence in voluptuous acts only is found.
And due to feeble rise of attachment, etc., if the instrumental cause of
external discourses, etc. through his own effort, then engagement in religions
activities becomes possible and if the instrumental cause is not met with and
he too does not make effort (for liberation), then he may continue indulging
in other acts but with feeble feelings of attachment, etc.; so, in such
moments, the preaching is efficacious.
Those one-sensed, etc.
beings, who are devoid of thinking power, do not possess the knowledge of
understanding the sermons and the Upayoga of the Jivas having intense
attachment, etc., does not get engrossed in sermons. Therefore, such Jivas who
possess thinking power and whose attachment, etc. passions have become feeble,
if through instrumental cause of sermons adopt religion, then they are
benefited. Under such conditions only right effort becomes efficacious.
The one-sensed, etc.
beings are not at all capable in observing religious acts; how can they make
effort (Purushartha)? And if a highly passionate being makes effort then such
effort will be for sinful acts only,; the effort for religious acts is not
possible.
Therefore, he who
possesses thinking power and whose attachment, etc., engrossed his Upayoga
effortfully in the ascertainment of Tattvas, etc., then his Upayoga gets
engrossed there and then he is benefited. if under such conditions also, he
does not make effort (Purushartha) for ascertaining the Tattvas, passes the
time recklessly, either he may keep indulging in voluptuous and passionate
activities with feeble attachment, etc. or may keep engaged in conventional
religious acts; then the opportunity will be lost and wandering in mundane
existence only will continue.
Further, with such
opportunity, those Jivas who continue the practice of engrossing their Upayoga
effortfully in the ascertainment of Tattvas, their thoughts and dispositions
will become purer, due to which the potency of material karmas will decrease
and after sometime the subsidence of Darshan Moha (faith-deluding karma) will
take place of its own; then the exact conviction of Tattvas will be evolved.
So, his duty is only to continue the practice of ascertainment of Tattvas; by
this means only, the subsidence of Darshan Moha takes place of its own; there
is no role of Jiva in it.
And on subsidence of
Darshan-Moha, the right belief gets manifested of its own in the Jiva. And on
evolution of right belief, such faith is evolved - "I am soul, I should not
indulge in attachment (Raag), etc.". But due to rise of Charitra Moha
(conduct-deluding karma) the attachment, etc. are produced. There, if the
rise be intense, then he indulges in sensual objects and if the rise be feeble
then he engrosses his Upayoga (active knowledge) effortfully in the religious
acts and in the contemplation of renunciation, etc. due to its
instrumentality, Charitra-Moha becomes feeble; in such state the effort (Purushartha)
for accepting partial conduct (small vows) or complete conduct (great vows)
gets manifested. And by accepting charitra (self-conduct with vows) through
his own Purushartha he increases the engrossment in religion; there, by purity
of thoughts and dispositions, the potency of karmas becomes feeble, due to
which purity increases further and the potency of karmas becomes more feeble.
In this way, he gradually destroys Moha (conduct-deluding karmas) then the
thoughts and dispositions become absolutely pure (passionless); through them
the knowledge obscuring, etc. destructive (Ghati) karmas are destroyed; then
omniscience gets manifested. Thereafter, effortlessly, he attains the
perfectly pure liberated state (Siddhahood) by destroying the non-destructive
(Aghati) karmas.
