Mini-Presentation

Essence of
Jainism
-
Tattvartha
Sutra
Jain Center of Greater Boston
Version A1.0, November 1998
C 1997 by The Jain Center of Greater Boston., Inc. All rights reserved.
 Jain Center of Boston
 Yogendra Jain (Coordinator)
 Dr. Sanjay Jain
 Manish Kasliwal
 Parimal Pandya
 Archit Shah
 Nitin Sogani
 Preeti Jain (Graphics)
 Tattvartha Sutra
 Teachings of Mahavira
 Scripture to learn All That Is
(Jain Religion, Ethics,
Philosophy)
 Written by (Acharya) Umasvati
in the second century
 Translated by Dr. Nathmal
Tatia
 Accepted by all Jain Sects
 Author’s Assumptions
Liberation  The Goal of Human Life is
Liberation
 Liberation is Perfect
Knowledge, Perfect
Intuition, and Eternal Bliss

 All Knowledge is Partial

Truth Except Omniscience
Omniscience
 Author’s Assumptions
Liberation  The Goal of Human Life is
Liberation
 Liberation is Perfect
Knowledge, Perfect
Intuition, and Eternal Bliss

 All Knowledge is Partial

Truth Except Omniscience
Omniscience
Roots of Tattvartha Sutra

500 BC Mahavira’s Teachings

<< transmitted by his disciples>>
100 AD Written in Sanskrit by Umaswati

1900’s: Several English Translations

1997 : Toronto Jain Convention: First multi-media

presentation by Jain Center of Greater Boston
 Our Agenda
(Part 1) (Part 2)
 Introduction
 Karmic Bondage
 Who Am I
 Inhibiting and
 Enlightened Wearing off Karma
Person  Vows
 Six Universal Sub.
 14 Gunsthans
 Knowledge
 Meditation
 Anekantvad
 Liberation
 Soul’s Link to the
 Discussions
World
<Break>
 Essence of Jainism
 Non-Violence (Ahimsa)
 Strengthens the autonomy of life of
every being
 Non-One-
Sideness(Anekantavad)
 Strengthens the autonomy of thought of
every individual
 Non-Possession (Aparigraha)
 Strengthens the interdependence
of all existence
 Who Am I?

 Why am I here?

 From where did I come?

 Where am I going?
 Who am I ?
I am a symbiosis of physical and
spiritual substances
 Why am I here?
I am here to realize who I am
 From where did I come?
I come from the past karmic
influences
 Where am I going?
I am moving towards liberation
Fundamentals of Existence
 Beginninglessness
 Dynamic Interplay of
Physical and Spiritual
Reality
 Cause and Effect
(through Karma)
Enlightened
Person
 The Journey Starts

AWARENESS
Wandering
Souls
TIME
 Path to Liberation
(Three Jewels)
 Enlightened World-View (Samyak Darshan)

 Enlightened Knowledge (Samyak Gyan)

 Types of Knowledge
 Bhavanas

 Enlightened Conduct (Samyak Charitra)

 Lay Vows
 Holy Vows
 Path to Liberation Omniscience
and
Liberation

Purity
Non- of Thought
Violence
Karmic

AWARENESS
Shedding
The Vows
Karmic Bondage
Wandering
and Inflow
Souls
TIME
 Types of Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE
Mediate (Acquired) (Paroksha) (Pratyaksha) Immediate (Innate)

Empirical (avadhi) Clairvoyant

(mati)
• Gained through the senses
• Mind’s ability to comprehend
what is sensed
Articulate (shrut)
• Conceptualization through
language
• Perception of things that are out
of the natural range of senses
(manahparyaya)Mind-reading
• Act of seeing the objects
of another’s mind
(keval) Omniscient
• Knowledge of all other
substances in all their modes
 Knowledge : Key To
Omniscience/Liberation
Partial Elimination
&
Partial Suppression
More
Delusion K AR M A S*
More
KN OWLED G E Enlightened
Clairvoyance

Other than omniscience, all other categories

are mixture of knowledge & ignorance
 Omniscience is perfect Innate, pure
enlightenment
Six Universal
Substances
 Substances in the
Universe
Space Matter
(akash)
(pudgal)
Medium of
Rest Jiva
(adharma)
(jiva)
Medium of
Motion
Time
(dharma)
(kal)
Nature
of
Soul
 CLASSES OF SOUL

2 CLASSES

Worldly Liberated
(Sansarik) (Siddha)
 QUALITIES OF SOUL
 QUALITIES

Omniscience

Sentience

Everlasting
 STATES OF SOUL
5 STATES

+
- -
+ +
Suppression

Elimination
Purification
Mixing

Shedding
 Bondage of Karma
Bondage is the process by which
karma are attached to the soul

+
- -
+ +
 Seven Tattvas
 Jiva (souls)
 Ajiva (non-sentient entities)
 Inflow- Asrava (inflow of karmic particles to the soul)
 Binding - Bandha (binding of karmic part. to the soul)
 Stopping - Samvara (stopping the karmic inflow)
 Shedding - Nirjara (falling away of karmic particles)
 Liberation - Moksh (liberation from worldly bondage)
Choice: Circle of Life
or Moksha
Moksha

Circle of Life
and “Death”
 Reality
and
Anekantavad
 Approach to Truth

Approved
Gateways Of
Means Of
Investigation
Knowledge

The categories of
truth
Philosophical
can be understood
Standpoint
with more precision
and clarity through
these 3 ways
 Jain Perspective

Doctrine of Philosophical
Non-absolutism Standpoints
(Anekantavad) (Nayavad)

Sevenfold
Predication
[Sapta-bhanginya]
 VIEWS OF REALITY
Philosophy Of Being Philosophy Of Becoming
(Unchanging) (Always Changing)
EVER
EVER
UNCHANGING
CHANGING
LIKE
LIKE THE
THE SUN
WEATHER

Stresses Stresses
Substance Modes
(guna) (paryaya)

Philosophy of Being (substances) and

Philosophy of Becoming (modes) Are
Both Real And Integral
 The Nature of Reality

H 2O

Water
Modes

Reality = Substance + Quality + Modes

 Non-One-Sidedness
(Nayavad-Syadvad)
The same reality can be viewed
from different standpoints - Doctrine of “MAY-BE”

water
Changelessness Beneath
Changes

SOUL
 Non-One-Sidedness
(ANEKANTAVAD)
EXISTENCE NON-EXISTENCE

1 2
7
5 6

3 INEXPRESSIBILITY

The Seven Fold Predication of the

Real
Does Truth Exist ?

Truth Exists
(Time Specific)
Anekantvada
- Reduce Ego
- Keep an open mind
Inhibiting and
Wearing off
of Karmas
 Karma’s Inflow
Action
Speech Thought

Karma Inflow
 Accident on Route to Nirvana
Scenario: A person meeting an accident with a car

Result: Vibration of soul in association with mind and body

Events:
• Troubling thoughts - Inflow (Asrava)
• Mind constantly thinking - Bondage (Bandha)
• Let bygones be bygones - Stoppage (Samvara)
• Practice austerity- Shedding (Nirjara)
 Types of Karmic Bondage
Destructive (Ghatia)

Non-Destructive (Aghatia)
Knowledge Covering
Karma

Intuition Covering
Sensation
Deluding (View, Conduct)

Karma
Life Span
Body
Status
Obstructive
 Karmic Bondage Cycle
Actions
Mind, Body, Speech - Omniscient
Reaction

+ +
- Dormant Karma

+ + - +
+ +
Karmic
Particles

- +
+ + +
Strong Intensity
+
- Only
+ Non-Destructive
+ + Karmas

Less Intensity Inhibition and Wearing Off

 Are Beneficial Karmas
Good?
More beneficial More harmful
karmas karmas

Give worldly Give worldly

pleasures pain
 7 Ways to Inhibit and Wear
off Karma
Mind, Body,
Speech Enduring
Moving Hardships
Carefully
Practicing
Right Austerities
Conduct

Right Control 12 Reflections

 3. Observing 10 Dharmas
Truthfulness

Humility Continence

Self Restraint
Forgiveness Purity
Renunciation

Detachment Austerity
Straightforwardness
Vows
 Doors of Inflow of Karmas

5 SENSES 4 PASSIONS 5 INDULGENCES 25 URGES

 Touch  Anger  Causing Injury  Evil
 Taste  Pride (Ego)  Lying  Torture
 Smell  Deceit  Stealing  Deceitful
 Sight  Greed  Incontinence  ...
 Hearing  Possessiveness  Possessive
clinging
 Control Your Passions
Passions

EMOTIONS +/- Karma

Anger
Pride Vows help in minimizing passions
Deceit
Greed

Passions

Less Karmas
 Activities to Support Vows
Non-stealing

Truthfulnes
s

Non-Violence
Non-
Possessiveness

Celibacy
Not Negation of Life,But
Affirmation of the Eternal

Celebrate life with the ultimate vision

Gunasthans
Suppresion/Elimination
(Stage: 8,9,10,11)

- -
+
+ + -
+
 Omniscience
(Final Stage: 14)
Meditation
Types of Meditation

Mournful Wrathful

Analytic White (Pure)

Meditation
Liberation
 Liberation
Liberation

Life span Status

Body
Obstructive

View Deluding Knowledge Covering

Sensation
Omniscience Intuition Covering
The Soul After Liberation
 What after Liberation ?
 Soul’s separation
 Soul’s upward motion
 Soul’s arrival at the border of cosmic
space
 What is the soul’s nature after
liberation
 Pure and perfect enlightened world view
 Enlightened knowledge
 Enlightened intuition