Kevala jnana
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Kevala jnana (
Kevala jnana is believed to be an intrinsic quality of all souls. This quality is masked by karmic particles that surround the soul. Every soul has the potential to obtain omniscience by shedding off these karmic particles. Jain scriptures speak of twelve stages through which the soul achieves this goal. A soul who has attained kevala jnana is called a kevalin (केवलिन्).[3] According to the Jains, only kevalins can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge.[4]
The views of two sects of Jainism,
Literary sources
The claim of existence of omniscience by Jains, who deny the existence of a creator god, is a unique phenomenon.[8] The Sutrakritanga text of the Svetambara school, elaborates the concept as all-knowing and provides details of his other qualities.[9] Another text, the Kalpa Sūtra, gives details of Mahavira's omniscience
When the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira had become a Jina and Arhat (Arihant), he was a Kevali, omniscient and comprehending all objects; he knew and saw all conditions of the world, of gods, men, and demons: whence they come, whither they go, whether they are born as men or animals or become gods or hell-beings (upapada), the ideas, the thoughts of their minds, the food, doings, desires, the open and secret deeds of all the living beings in the whole world; he the Arhat (Arihant), for whom there is no secret, knew and saw all conditions of all living beings in the world.:[10]
Immediately after the death of Mahavira, his disciple
In the second Upanga Agama, the Rājapraśnīya, there is a dialogue between Kesi, a disciple of
The Jains have a long debate with
Samantabhadra was the first philosopher-monk in the history of Indian philosophy who tried to use inference as a method to establish the existence of omniscience[16] In his famous work, Aptamimamsa, Samantabhadra asserts:
Objects that are minute (like atoms), past (like Lord Rama), and distant (like Mount Meru), being the objects of inference (anumeya – and, therefore, also objects of knowledge – prameya), must be perceivable directly by someone; like the fire on the hill is an object of inference for a distant person but is perceived directly by the one who is in its proximity. The one who perceives directly the objects of knowledge that are minute, past, and distant is the Omniscient (sarvajña); this way the existence of the Omniscient is truly and firmly established.
— Āptamīmāṁsā (5)[17]
Jain epistemology
In Jain epistemology, there are two kinds of valid methods of knowledge: pratyakṣa or "direct knowledge" and parokṣa or "indirect knowledge". Kevala-jñana is considered pratyaksa.[20] Five ways of obtaining knowledge are defined: matijñana acquired through sensory perception; srutajñana acquired through understanding of verbal and written sentences; avadhijñana, manhaparyaya jñana and kevala jñana.[21]
Jains contrast all attempts to proclaim absolute truth with Anekantavada, which can be explained through the parable of the "blind men and an elephant". In this story, each blind man felt a different part of an elephant (trunk, leg, ear, etc.). All the men claimed to understand and explain the true appearance of the elephant, but could only partly succeed, due to their limited perspectives.[22][self-published source?] This principle is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. According to the Jains, only the Kevalis—omniscient beings—can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge.[23] Consequently, no single, specific, human view can claim to represent absolute truth.
Stages of spiritual development
According to Jain texts, there are fourteen stages (gunasthana) of spiritual development. The soul can gradually free itself, firstly from the worst, then from the less bad and finally from all kinds of karma, and manifests the innate qualities of knowledge, belief, and conduct in a more and more perfect form. The first four gunasthana are related to belief or rationality in perception. If and when the soul acquires rationality in perception, it moves on to the 4th gunasthana. Stages 5 to 14 relate to conduct. The purity in conduct determines the gunasthana from 5th stage onwards. Those who have taken the anuvratas {minor vows} may reach up to the 5th Gunasthana. The 6th to 14th Gunasthanas can only be attained by those who have taken the
# | 14 Gunasthanas |
---|---|
01. mithya-drishti | The stage of wrong believer |
02. sasvadana-samyagdrsti | The stage of one who has a slight taste of right belief. |
03. misradrsti | The stage of mixed belief |
04. avirata-samyagdrsti | The stage of one who has true belief but has not yet self-discipline |
05. desavirata | The stage of partial self-control |
06. pramatta-samyata | The stage of complete self-discipline, although sometimes brought into wavering through negligence |
07. apramatta samyata | The stage of self-control without negligence |
08. nivrtti badra samparaya | The stage of one in whom the passions are still occurring in a gross form |
09. annivrtti badara samparaya | The stage of one who practices anivratti karana, however, the passions are still occurring |
10. suksama samparaya | The stage of one in whom the passions occur in a subtle form |
11. upasana kasaya vitaraga chadmasta | The stage of one who has suppressed every passion but still does not possess omniscience |
12. ksina kasay vitaraga chadmasta | The stage of who has annihilated every passion but does not yet possess omniscience |
13. sayogi kevalin | The stage of omniscience with activity |
14. ayogi kevalin | The stage of omniscience without any activity |
See also
Notes
- ^ Sharma 1991, p. 49
- ^ Kumar 2001, p. 3
- ^ Jaini 2000, p. 51
- ^ Jaini 1998, p. 91
- ^ Dundas 2002, p. 45 45
- S2CID 56062884.
- ^ Shah 2004, p. 39
- ^ Jaini 2001, p. 98 99
- ^ Dundas 2002, p. 25
- ^ Jaini 2001, pp. 99–100
- ^ Shah 2004, p. 39
- ^ Shah 2004, p. 13
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 113
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 91
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 91
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 110
- ^ Jain 2016, p. 10.
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 110
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 110
- ^ Flügel 2006, p. 108
- ^ Glasenapp 1999, pp. 204–205
- ]
- ^ Jaini 1998, p. 91.
- ^ Kuhn 2001, pp. 186–219
- ^ Jaini 1998, pp. 272–273
- ^ Tatia 1994, pp. 274–285
References
- Jain, Vijay K (1 January 2016). Ācārya Samantabhadra's Aptamimamsa (Devāgamastotra). Vikalp printers. ISBN 9788190363983.
- Dundas, Paul (2002), The Jains, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-26605-5
- Flügel, Peter (2006), Studies in Jaina History and Culture: Disputes and Dialogues, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 978-0-203-00853-9
- Glasenapp, Helmuth Von (1999), Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1376-6
- Jaini, Padmanabh (1998), The Jaina Path of Purification, New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
- Jaini, Padmanabh S (2000), Collected Papers On Jaina Studies, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1691-6
- Jaini, Padmanabh S. (2001), Collected Papers On Buddhist Studies, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1776-0
- Kuhn, Hermann (2001). Karma, The Mechanism : Create Your Own Fate. Wunstorf, Germany: Crosswind Publishing. ISBN 3-9806211-4-6.
- Kumar, Sehdev (2001), Jain Temples of Rajasthan, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 978-81-7017-348-9
- Shah, Natubhai (2004), Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-1-898723-30-1
- Sharma, Candradhar (1991), A critical survey of Indian philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0365-7
- Tatia, Nathmal (1994), Tattvārtha Sūtra: That Which Is of Vācaka Umāsvāti (in Sanskrit and English), Lanham, MD: Rowman Altamira, ISBN 0-7619-8993-5