Sanskritmoksha or Prakritmokkha refers to the liberation or salvation of a soul from saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death. It is a blissful state of existence of a soul, attained after the destruction of all karmic bonds. A liberated soul is said to have attained its true and pristine nature of Unlimited bliss, Unlimited knowledge and Unlimited perception. Such a soul is called siddha and is revered in Jainism.
In Jainism, moksha is the highest and the noblest objective that a soul should strive to achieve. In fact, it is the only objective that a person should have; other objectives are contrary to the true nature of soul. With the right view, knowledge and efforts all souls can attain this state. That is why Jainism is also known as mokṣamārga or the "path to liberation".
From the point of view of potentiality of mokṣa, Jain texts bifurcates the souls into two categories: bhavya and abhavya. Bhavya souls are those souls who have faith in mokṣa and hence will make some efforts to achieve liberation.[2] This potentiality or quality is called bhavyata.[2] However, bhavyata itself does not guarantee mokṣa, as the soul needs to expend necessary efforts to attain it. On the other hand, abhavya souls are those souls who cannot attain liberation as they do not have faith in mokṣa and hence never make any efforts to attain it.[2]
The path to liberation
Three jewels
According to Jainism, purification of soul and liberation can be achieved through the path of three jewels:[3][4][5]
samyak darśana (correct view), meaning faith, acceptance of the truth of soul (jīva);[6]
samyak jnana (correct knowledge), meaning undoubting knowledge of the tattvas;[7]
samyak charitra (correct conduct), meaning behavior consistent with the Five vows.[7] It consists in following austerities, engaging in right activities and observance of vows, carefulness and controls.[8]
samyak tap (correct csceticism) is often added as a fourth jewel in Jain texts, emphasizing belief in ascetic practices as the means to liberation (moksha).[9]
Belief in the nine substances as they are is right faith (samyagdarśana). Knowledge of these substances without doubt, delusion or misapprehension, is right knowledge (samyagjñāna). Being free from attachment etc. is right conduct (samyakcāritra). These three, together, constitute the path to liberation.[10]
Bhedvijnān, also called bhedvigyan or bhedgnan, is the practice of realizing the distinction between the soul (jiva), which is eternal, formless, and independent, and the non-soul (ajiva), the temporary, external aspects of existence such as body, thoughts, emotions, and karmic influences, and remain aware of this distinction.[11] This understanding is crucial for attainment of nischay samyak darshan.[citation needed] Bansidhar Pandit explains Nischay Samyak Darshan as follows:
Nischay Samyag Darshan: This refers to the soul's intrinsic inclination towards its own true nature, turning away from all other non-soul substances (Jivas and Ajivas). It's the deep-seated belief in one's true self [...] Nischay Samyag Darshan is described as finding joy in one's own self, separate from all external substances. Nischay Samyak Gyan is the knowledge of this self-nature. Nischay Samyak Charitra is remaining stable and absorbed in this self-nature.[12]
Bhedvigyan serves as a stepping stone in the process of spiritual awakening, where the aspirant first becomes aware of their mistaken identity with the non-soul as their witness (bhed-nasti), and later become aware of the existence and true nature of the soul itself (asti). Suffering arises from the false identification of the soul with material objects, including the body and mind. By distinguishing between the pure soul and the transient elements of life, one can cultivate detachment (vairagya) and move toward liberation (moksha). This process ultimately leads to the direct experience of the soul in a state of pure awareness, destroying karmic attachments.[13][failed verification]
The term bhedvigyan can be traced back to the works of Amritchandra (f. 10th-century CE), especially his commentary on Kundkund's Samayasāra, where it is used to describe the entire practice of Nischay Samyak Darshan.[citation needed] In the Samayasāra, Kundkund explains that, just as a crystal, though pure and colorless in its essence, appears red, yellow, or black when placed near objects of those colors, so too the soul appears affected by karmas, body, and conscious activities of mind and emotions, though in its own nature it is stainless and formless.[14][15] Likewise, contemplating and meditating on the self as a pure blissful soul, distinct from all non-soul associations, is the heart of bhedvijñān. Through such discernment, not only the influx of new karmas is stopped but the aspirant gradually dissolves false identification and experiences their true nature.[citation needed]
Although the term itself appears later, the concept and practice may be older, always existing across all Jain sects (except the Sthanakvasis), and originally forming the essence of Drashtivaad, the twelfth Anga of the Aagamas, now lost to time. Bhedvigyan was expounded in detail in works of Acharya Kundkund, Acharya Haribhadra, Yashovijaya and Shrimad Rajchandra.[citation needed]
Fourteen stages
The fourteen stages on the path to liberation are called Gunasthāna. These are:[16]
Advanced thought-activity (Passions are still occurring)
10. Sukshma samparaya
Slightest delusion
11. Upaśānta-kasāya
Subsided delusion
12. Ksīna kasāya
Destroyed delusion
13. Sayoga kevali
Omniscience with vibration (destruction of all inimical karmas)
14. Ayoga kevali
The stage of omniscience without any activity
Those who pass the last stage are called siddha and become fully established in Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.[17]
Liberation
Nirvāna means final release from the karmic bondage. When an enlightened human, such as an Arihant or a Tirthankara, extinguishes his remaining aghatiya karmas and thus ends his worldly existence, it is called nirvāna. Technically, the death of an Arhat is called their nirvāṇa, as he has ended his worldly existence and attained liberation. Moksha (liberation) follows nirvāṇa. However, the terms moksa and nirvana are often used interchangeably in the Jain texts.[18][19] An Arhat becomes a siddha, the liberated one, after attaining nirvana.
In that night in which the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira died, freed from all pains, the eighteen confederate kings of Kasi and Kosala, the nine Mallakis and nine Licchavis, on the day of new moon, instituted an illuminations on the Poshadha, which was a fasting day; for they said: 'Since the light of intelligence is gone, let us make an illumination of material matter!'(128)[20]
Once a soul secures samyaktva, mokṣa is assured within a few lifetimes. According to Jain texts, the liberated pure soul (Siddha) goes up to the summit of universe (Siddhashila) and dwells there in eternal bliss.[21][22]
A liberated soul dwells in Siddhashila with infinite faith, infinite knowledge, infinite perception, and infinite perfection. According to the Jain text, Puruşārthasiddhyupāya:
Having achieved the ultimate goal, knowing everything that needs to be known, and enjoying eternal and supreme bliss, the Omniscient, Effulgent Soul rests permanently in the Highest State (of liberation).
Varni, Jinendra (1993). Prof. Sagarmal Jain, Translated Justice T.K. Tukol and Dr. K.K. Dixit (ed.). Samaṇ Suttaṁ. New Delhi: Bhagwan Mahavir memorial Samiti. Verse 262 - 4
↑ Michael Carrithers, Caroline Humphrey (1991) The Assembly of listeners: Jains in society Cambridge University Press. ISBN0521365058: "Nirvana: A synonym for liberation, release, moksa." p.297
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
