The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c11.82

Language: English

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§180. With Uvav. we turn back to meditation (*jhāna*, Ṭhāṇ. 188a; Samav. 9a; Āv. 14). It produces beneficial effects, and acc. to T. 9, 30 it even leads to liberation provided it is "pious" and "pure". For there are kinds of meditation not to be recommended. These *avajjhāna*² are invariably dealt with the other two; they are the impure forms of an attitude which in itself is beneficial as *annāṇa* is to *nāṇa*. The *aṭṭa jhāna*, the gloomy meditation, serves for the redress of discomforts and the preservation of the comforts of life. An exceptional case of the former is illness, of the latter enjoyment for which T. 9, 34 expressly specifies the wish for coming to possess certain ideal goods in the future existence. The name for it is *niyāṇa* (comp. also T. 7, 32).

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Along with *māyā* and *micchatta* the *niyāṇa* adds up to the sequence of the three "stings" or "thorns" (*salla*, § 168).³ It is treated comprehensively in an explanation delivered by Mahāvīra, the Āyāiṭṭhāna, the 10th Dasā, and its external notes are lamentations, mourning, weeping, and wailing.⁴ The malignant (*rodda*) meditation is out for damage, lies, robbery and the appropriation of material goods (*sārakkhaṇa*) and is perceptible by the strength (*ussanna-or osanna-*), the repetition, the variety, and the perpetuity of moral imperfections (*dosa*).⁵ The pious (*dhamma*) meditation has four kinds or ranges (*paḍoyāra*) since it serves for penetrating (*vijaya*)⁶ into the Jain commandment (āṇā), for the aberrations (avāya),¹ and for the outcome of actions (vivāga) and the consequent different shape (saṃṭhāṇa) of the beings.² It is characterised by taking delight (rui) in āṇā, nisagga, uvaesa, and sutta. nisagga is said to be the "natural condition" (svabhāvo'nupadesaḥ) of some who are not in need of instruction, i.e. the patteya-buddha (§ 14). Instead of the latter two Ṭhāṇ. 188a has sutta and ogāḍha. ogāḍha is said to be the "neighbour" (sādhu-pratyāsannibhūta) whom to see being instructed equally causes delight (rui). The starting-point (ālambaṇa) of the dhamma jhāṇa is the method of the instruction (§ 150); its mood (anuppeha) is determined by the reflections mentioned in § 175. In the same way and in the same place the pure (sukka) mediatation is being dealt with.

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Its characteristics are purity and renunciation in all external affairs and the absence of emotions and confusions; it refers to forbearance, abandonment (§ 174), candour and humility; its moods are governed by avāya, asubha, aṇantavīiyā, and vipariṇāma, i.e. by the thoughts directed to aberrations, evil things, the endless number of existences, and the perpetual transformation. By asubha the internal impurity of the body may be meant. Rather than by all these more or less colourless expressions we come to understand the nature of and the way how to practise the sukka jhāṇa more clearly by being given an account of its paḍoyāra. This kind of meditation is concerned with one individual object within the range of the śruta-jñāna meditated upon in either some or only one of its conditions (paryāya), so that, accordingly, we have either the puhatta-viyakka (for the object is taken "for itself") sukka jh. or the egatta-viyakka sukka jhāna.¹ Acc. to T. 9, 45 viyakka (vitarka)=śruta. In the first case there may be a transition (vicāra) leading from the meditation on one object to that of another, in the second consciousness continues to concentrate on one, and, accordingly, saviyāri and aviyāri are added to the two viyakka. Here, moreover, the pure meditation is gradated into suhuma-kiriya s. jh. and samucchinna-kiriya sukka jhāna. In the first there is but very little activity left, in the latter none at all.

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kiriyā in this connexion means joga, the display of the inner sense, speech, and body (§ 84). These uppermost grades are exclusively proper to the Kevalin, and that when, with the exception of vegetative activity (e.g. of breathing), he has ceased to exercise yoga and when, in the selesi-stage (§ 186), he is devoid of this final remainder as well (Uvav. § 153; Pannav. 436b). In other words, the time it lasts is most limited or, rather, next to nil. Since the Kevalin is beyond the danger of having a relapse the jhāna of either grade is called appaḍivāi and aṇiyaṭṭi² (the latter in T. 9, 41; vyuparata-kriyā-nivṛtti). It is characteristic of the post-canonical view taken by T. 9, 27f. that it introduces physical conditions for the faculty of meditation. Those only who possess a most excellent physique (samhanana, § 65) are fit for lasting it out, and even they will do so for the time of one muhūrta only. Indeed the two highest grades do not occur any longer since—after Jambu's Nirvāṇa—nobody ever again became a Kevalin.³ Nor is this the view shared by Umāsvāti since he assigns the different kinds to monks of different moral maturity (T. 9, 35ff.). For gloomy and malignant is the meditation of him who either completely or partially fails to observe the vows (*avirata* and *deśa-virata*, the latter with ref. to laymen), and gloomy as well is the meditation of him who possibly proves negligent (*pramatta-samyata*, § 183). His counterpart, i.e.

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he who proves reliable (*apramatta-s.*), exercises the pious meditation. This kind, however, along with the two first grades of pure meditation is proper to him who suppresses the passions, as it is proper to those who succeeded in annihilating them (*upaśānta-kaṣāya* and *kṣīṇa-kaṣāya*).