Samvara
The answer is provided by the next two ‘Tattvas'
namely, ‘Samvara' and ‘Nirjara'. ‘Samvara' means prevention of Asrava',
that is, stoppage of inflow of karmas and ‘Nirjara' means destruction of
accumulated karmas. Thus, while ‘Samvara' prevents fresh inflow of karmas,
‘Nirjara' destroys the accumulated karmas. When both the processes are
complete what follows is Moksa, i.e., liberation. Let us see how this
process happens.
Experience-based thinking process - Samvara is
the beginning of the process of change in reverse direction of bondage. As
the ultimate tendency of every ‘Jiva'. whether of a human such as fungus,
bacterias and virus is to ascend. In the course of his seemingly endless
struggle, during endless cycle of births and deaths, the self sometimes
progresses and sometimes falls back spiritually. By each step forward or
backward it experiences, tastes the good and bad fruits of life and
ultimately, may be after millions of years, a time comes when it realizes
the futility of worldly existence, becomes awakened and tries to find out
why and how all previous existence have not been able to bring out
permanent peace and solace, always sought for. Initially it all appears to
be a vain search-a search for nothing. At this stage one may be induced to
adopt the attitude of Carvakas and may begin to think that the talk of
permanent happiness is a mere hallucination. There is nothing beyond this
human existence which must be exploited and enjoyed to the full. It may
also be induced to take up the line of ‘Niyaticadi' thinkers
(determinists) like Gosala, that it is all destined and no human effort
can save us from this destiny, hence take it easy and enjoy all the
material pleasures which are offered by life. However, the process does
not stop there. The intrinsic character of every ‘Jiva' being
consciousness, it is endowed with constant thinking process and
experiences of pleasure and pain. These experiences, gained from the
enjoyment of the material objects and the attitude of limiting the soul's
journey only to the present existence, are bound to lead to many
imponderables, incongruencies and inequities. When this is properly
realized, the consciousness does not remain stagnant and its thinking
process begins to reconsider the stand hitherto adopted. A stage comes
when the self feels, that all this humdrum of life, all this bewildering
complexity of existence, all this up and down, stress and strain, pleasure
and pain, cannot be without purpose. If that is so, what is the purpose,
it asks itself. Some intellectually and spiritually advanced souls tried
to understand the universe, its components and its scheme as well as it
concluded that there are only two main components of the whole of this
universe, namely Jiva (living) and Ajiva (non-living) and also that the
both have distinct characteristic of Jiva is consciousness and that
whatever blurs this characteristic is foreign to it.
Understanding of Jiva, sine qua non of all
understanding - All Jaina philosophers have repeatedly emphasised that
proper understanding of the quality of Jiva and Ajiva is the sine qua non
of all understanding. Once this understanding starts, the process of
Samvara starts because once the real character of Jiva reveals that
whatever is Ajiva is foreign to Jiva and definitely obscures the
characteristics of Jiva, efforts to prevent the karmic flow also start. If
Pudgala is foreign to Jiva, Jiva must try to dissociate itself from
Paudgalic influence if it desires to gain its own virtues. This process of
thinking also leads the self to the realization of unity of the universe,
understanding of the working and mechanism of universal scheme and
inherent potentiality of every Jiva to achieve the highest. From this
springs the idea of equality of all souls and the doctrine of Ahimsa in
deed as well as in thought. This also leads to the doctrine of karma,
birth, death and rebirth, shedding of karmas, methodology by which they
can be shed away and the final liberation, i.e., end of birth and rebirth.
Thus the entire structures of doctrines of Jaina philosophy is brought to
light if once the dichotomy of Jiva and Ajiva is understood in proper
light. This is called Samyag Darsana (proper perspective) which is
followed by Samyag-Jnana (proper knowledge) - both of which are bound to
be followed by Samyag-caritra (proper conduct). Once the self adopts
proper conduct fresh inflow of karmas begin to decrease and the realize
that Paudgalic forces generated by kasayas like anger, pride, deceit and
greed as well as avarice and attachment must be contained. This
realization is called ‘Bhava-samvara' and when this ‘Bhava-samvara' is
actualized and put into action, the relevant inflow of karma stops. This
is called ‘Dravya-samvara.'
The seers have preached the method by which
‘Dravya-samvara' can be actualized. These are : 1. Vrata-penances,
2.Samiti-carefulness, 3. Gupti-restraint, 4.Dharma-observance, 5.
Anupreksa-reflection, 6.Parisahajaya-victory over difficulties and 7.
Caritra-conduct. Each one of this is further explained in details. We
shall revert to that discussion later on.
Aim of ‘Samvara' is to block all the outlets of Asrava.
This is illustrated by allegory of a pond of water getting water inflow
from different drains. To make the pond completely, dry, only throwing out
the collected water is not sufficient, blocking all the outlets through
which water flows in, is essential. Similarly the self can purify itself
by shedding all accumulated karmas and by blocking all the outlets through
which fresh karmas are flowing. This latter process is the process of ‘Samvara',
‘Sam' means proper and ‘Vr' means to prevent, to surround. When this
process is over, the fresh karmas are not generated and even if generated
they are of very weak character. At this stage the question arises as to
what should be done to the already accumulated karmas. This leads us to
the next process called ‘Nirjara'.
Email this page 
Philosophy
