Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Outlines of Jainism c17: Appendix IV. Qualities, Attributes, Powers, etc., of the Five Grades of Saintly Souls

Outlines of Jainism c17

Language
English

Contents

Appendix IV. Qualities, Attributes, Powers, etc., of the Five Grades of Saintly Souls

I. Perfect Soul (in the human body of a Tīrthaṅkara)

c17.s1.1

By birth such a perfect soul attains: (1) a supremely handsome body, with (2) a natural fragrance emanating from it, and (3) free from the ugliness of sweating and (4) excreta; (5) sweet, sound, and harmless speech; (6) immeasurable strength; (7) blood of milk-white purity; (8) 1,008 lucky signs on the body; (9) perfect proportion of limbs; (10) joints, bones, and sinews strong and unbreakable like adamant.

c17.s1.2

By virtue of his achieving omniscience the perfect soul attains a sanctity whereby he (1) averts famine in a circular area of 800 miles' radius; (2) remains always raised above the ground, whether walking, sitting, or standing; (3) seems to be facing everyone in all the four directions; (4) destroys all hiṃsic (destructive) impulses in persons around him; (5) is entirely immune from all kinds of pain and disturbance (upasarga); (6) is able to live without food; (7) possesses mastery of all arts and sciences; (8) nails and hair which do not grow; (9) eyes which are always open—the lids do not wink; and (10) a body which never casts a shadow.

c17.s1.3

In virtue of his omniscience the following effects are produced by the heavenly bodies: (1) general mastery of the Ardha-Māgadhī language; (2) friendly feelings in all who are near him; (3) clear skies; (4) in all directions; (5) the proper fructifying and blossoming of fruits and flowers of all seasons; (6) clean space all round over a radius of 8 miles (1 yojana); (7) in walking golden lotuses are always placed by the gods under his sacred feet; (8) space resounds with shouts of “Jai! Jai!”, “Victory! Victory!”; (9) mild and fragrant breezes blow all around; (10) sweet-scented showers cool the earth; (11) the gods of the air take care to remove thorns from the earth; (12) all living beings become joyous; (13) the dharma-chakra precedes the sacred procession; (14) eight kinds of auspicious things attend the procession; i.e. umbrella (chhattra), chowrie (chāmara), flag (dhvaja), svastika, mirror (darpaṇa), a kind of vase (kalaśa), a powder-flask (vardhamānaka), and a throne seat (bhadrāsana).

c17.s1.4

Eight kinds of heavenly signs (prātihārya) appear: (1) an Aśoka tree is always near the Tīrthaṅkara; (2) a throne-seat; (3) three umbrellas (chhattra) and a lion throne (siṃhāsana); (4) aura of a beautiful radiance (bhā-maṇḍala); (5) wordless speech flowing from the Lord (divya-dhvani); (6) showers of celestial blooms; (7) the sixty-four Yakṣa gods attend to fan the Lord with chowries; (8) heavenly music.

c17.s1.5

The perfect soul enjoys four attributes in their infinity. These are called ananta-chatuṣṭaya and are: (1) infinite perception; (2) infinite knowledge; (3) infinite power; (4) infinite bliss. (Total 46.)

II. Perfect Soul, without body (Siddha)

c17.s2.1

Such a soul has innumerable qualities. Among them eight are specially noted: (1) perfect faith; (2) perfect perception; (3) perfect knowledge; (4) quality of being neither light nor heavy; (5) infinite capacity for giving place (penetrability); (6) extreme refinement beyond sense-perception; (7) infinite power; (8) immunity from disturbance of all kinds.

III. Head of Groups of Saints

c17.s3.1

These have thirty-six special qualities, besides many others.

c17.s3.2

1. Twelve *Tapas*: (1) *Anaśana*: not taking food. (2) *Anavāpta*: eating less than what one may desire. (3) *Vrata-parisaṃkhyāna*: a pledge taken by a saint on the way to receive food, that he will accept it only if a particular thing is fulfilled, otherwise go without it. This pledge, of course, is secret and extempore. (4) *Rasa-parityāga*: renunciation and suppression of taste and of tasteful things. Six such things are specially mentioned: milk, *ghee* (clarified butter), curds, sugar, salt, and oil. (5) *Vivikta-śayyāsana*: sitting and sleeping alone. (6) *Kāya-kleśa*: mortification of the body; not by deliberately hurting it, but by controlling it through refusing it many comforts.

c17.s3.3

These six are called external *tapas*.

c17.s3.4

(7) *Prāyaścitta*: penance in expiation of any fault, committed consciously or unconsciously. (8) *Vinaya*: eager zeal and belief in the pursuit of (i) right faith; (ii) right knowledge; (iii) right conduct; (iv) proper *tapa* or restraint; and also loving obedience and ready submission to one’s superiors. (9) *Vaiyāpṛtya*: sincere service and actual attendance on old, infirm, and sick *sadhus*. (10) *Svādhyāya*: reading the Scripture.

c17.s3.5

(11) *Vyutsarga*: non-attachment to the body. (12) *Dhyāna*: meditation.

c17.s3.6

These last six are internal *tapas*.

c17.s3.7

2. Ten *Dharmas*—pious duties: (1) *Uttama-kṣamā*: suppression of all feelings of anger and ready forgiveness of all injuries, real or otherwise. (2) *Mārdava*: ever-ready and sincere humility. (3) *Ārjava*: frank straightforwardness. (4) *Satya*: truth in feelings and in conduct. (5) *Śaucha*: purity from defilement of greed. (6) *Saṃyama*: This is of two kinds: (i) restraint of the senses, and (ii) practice of compassion towards six kinds of living beings, namely, (*a*) lowest (mineral) life, (*b*) aquatic life, (*c*) fire-life (cf. salamander), (*d*) air-life, (*e*) vegetable life, and (*f*) animal life. (7) *Tapa*: asceticism. Mainly of the kinds enumerated above. (8) *Tyāga*: renunciation of all worldly connections. In the Āchāryas it also includes the gift of knowledge, etc., by means of lessons and advice. (9) *Akiñchana*: developing the instinct, "nothing is mine in the universe." (10) *Brahma-charyā*: chastity. Literally it means the devoted contemplation of the self by the soul: and this is attainable and preservable by securing self-concentration through celibacy and other means of freeing the mind from the bondage of worldly care and attachment.

c17.s3.8

3. Six *Āvaśyakas*: daily duties: (1) *Sāmāyika*: practising peaceful indifference to worldly objects and to attain tranquillity of mind. (Equanimity of soul.) (2) *Vandanā*: bowing to perfect souls and their images in the temples. (3) *Stuti*: praising the qualities of the holy beings. (4) *Pratikramaṇa*: repentance for faults that already attach to the soul. (5) Svādhyāya: reading the Scriptures.

c17.s3.9

Note.—In some books pratyākhyāna is given in place of svādhyāya. It means the forethought and endeavour so that in future no faults may attach to the soul. Roughly pratikramaṇa and pratyākhyāna correspond to nirjarā and saṃvara respectively.

c17.s3.10

(6) Kāyotsarga: giving up attachment to the body and practising contemplation of the self.

c17.s3.11

4. Five kinds of exercises (āchāra): (1) Darśanāchāra: to induce strong and steady faith. (2) Jñānāchāra: to increase knowledge. (3) Chāritrāchāra: to improve one's daily life. (4) Tapāchāra: to become a great ascetic. (5) Vīryāchāra: to increase the power of one's inner self.

c17.s3.12

5. Three Guptis: the threefold restraint of mind, body, and speech. (Total 36.)

IV. Teaching Saints

c17.s4.1

These have twenty-five qualities, inasmuch as they have to study and teach the eleven Aṅgas and fourteen Pūrvas.

V. All Saints

c17.s5.1

They have twenty-eight essential qualities among others as follows:—

c17.s5.2

1. Five Mahā-vratas—five great vows: (1) Ahiṃsā: not to cause, or tend to cause, pain or destruction to any living being, by thought, speech, or conduct. (2) Satya: truth in speech, thought, and deed. (3) Asteya: to take nothing, unless and except it is given. (4) *Brahma-charyā*: as above. (5) *Parigraha-tyāga*: renunciation of worldly concerns.

c17.s5.3

2. Five *Samitis*—five religious observances: (1) *Īryā*: walking with the eyes carefully directed 3½ yards ahead. (2) *Bhāshā*: speaking relevantly and according to the Scriptures. (3) *Eshaṇā*: taking only pure food, and not specially prepared for the saint. (4) *Ādāna-nikshepaṇa*: careful handling of the few things, such as water-bowl, peacock-brush, and Scriptures, which saints may keep. (5) *Pratishṭhāpana*: great care as to where to answer the calls of nature, etc.

c17.s5.4

3. Six daily duties, as above.

c17.s5.5

4. Restraint of the five senses.

c17.s5.6

5. Seven other duties: (1) Not to bathe. (2) Sleeping on the ground. (3) Nakedness. (4) Pulling the hair out with one's own hands. (5) Taking only a little food once a day. (6) Not applying a brush to the teeth. (7) Taking food in a standing posture, and only in the hollow of the folded hands.

c17.s5.7

[NOTE.—Concerning the subject of this Appendix we may refer to Hemachandra's *Abhidhāna-chintāmaṇi*, Indra-nandin's *Pañca-parameshṭhi-pūjā*, and Amṛita-chandra Sūri's *Purushārtha-siddhyupāya*.]

Cites (2)