Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates 鈥楴ature of Labdhi鈥� of the study on the concept of Mysticism in Jainism exploring key concepts such as Jaina metaphysics and Jain ethics. The present research is divided into six chapters, beginning with an introduction to mysticism, examining its characteristics from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Subsequent chapters delve into the mystical aspects of Brahmanic and Shramanic literature, analyzing texts from the Shvetambara and Digambara traditions to unearth traces of Jain mysticism.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
4. Nature of Labdhi
Vedic system, Buddhism and Jainism are the three well-known eastern spiritual systems that elaborately discuss on the supernatural powers attained by an aspirant. All the three traditions believe that there are two purposes of spiritual practices -to attain supernatural powers and to attain liberation.
The traditions mention that an aspirant practices spirituality with the goal to attain 鈥�Kaivalya鈥� in Yoga system, 鈥�狈颈谤惫腻峁嘺鈥� in Buddhism and 鈥�惭辞办峁鈥� in Jain system. During this spiritual journey and also at the end of the journey the aspirant is inevitable to acquire transcendental powers. In Jainism these powers are known as labdhi or 峁沝诲丑颈. According to Jainism the attainment of labdhis were thought of as an essential part of the spiritual process and progress. They are unintentional outcomes of spiritual practice such as meditation and austerity. Therefore, attainment of these labdhis is not seen as opposed to 尘辞办峁 but as part of the attainment of 尘辞办峁. They are the proofs as well as a sign of transcendence. They bring change in ordinary person and make him a transcendental being. Moreover, they are not common to all, therefore called as alaukika (non-material) or lokottar (transcendental). Jainism recognises the acquisition of these labdhis as the external factor and not the internal factor of spirituality. Ultimately, the aspirants are supposed to renounce or transcend those labdhis to attain the 尘辞办峁, the internal factor of the spirituality.
The 叠丑补驳补惫补墨 蝉迟补迟别蝉鈥�
鈥�savv膩o laddh墨o ja峁� s膩g膩rovaogal膩bh膩o. T茅峁噀h siddhaladh墨 uppajja墨taduvauttassa鈥�[1]
Which means鈥揳ll labdhis are accomplished in the state of determinate knowledge. The possessor of these labdhis are denoted as 搁颈诲诲丑颈尘腻苍补 辫耻谤耻峁[2].
According to Patanjal 驰辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补, the yogaj vibhutis (supernatural powers) can be attained by concentration (厂补尘腻诲丑颈), use of herbs (补峁诲丑颈), sacred syllables (尘补峁卼谤补), austerity (tapa), and by birth (janma)[3] whereas as per Jainism, 贬别尘补肠补苍诲谤腻肠腻谤测补 in 驰辞驳补艣腻蝉迟谤补 蝉迟补迟别蝉鈥�labdhi can be attained not only by tapa and 诲丑测腻苍补 but also by other means.[4] In 叠丑补驳补惫补墨 叠丑腻峁补, 膧肠腻谤测补 惭补丑腻辫谤补箩帽补 states, 鈥榯he labdhi can be acquired from 惫颈诲测腻 (spell), 尘补峁卼谤补 (chanting), tapa (penance) and 产丑腻惫补苍腻 (contemplation)[5]. The mystic powers attained by all the above means are not always spiritual ones. Many of them are paudgalika (materialistic) too. For example the labdhis attained by herbs and 尘补峁卼谤补 are materialistic in nature and the labdhis attained by spiritual practices such as meditation, austerity, etc. are spiritual in nature. Such spiritual labdhis are considered more powerful than material ones.
The labdhis manifest at physical, mental and spiritual level. Labdhis like telepathy, knowledge of previous birth, ability to hear sound from far-off places, ability to see very distant objects, etc are associated with mind. The physical labdhis include invisibility, travelling through the air, passing through the solid objects, multiplication of bodies, transforming food, turning oneself into other forms etc. The spiritual labdhis include 办别惫补濒补箩帽腻苍补, 办别惫补濒补诲补谤艣补苍补 etc. The labdhi manifested at mental and physical level have limitation in their performance.
According to Jainism attainment of some of the mystic power are nirvadhya (sinless or auspicious) as their attainment is due to 办峁测辞辫补艣补尘补 i.e. destruction-cum-subsudence or 办峁测补 (destruction) and 耻辫补艣补尘补 (subsidence) of the karmas and some are 蝉腻惫补诲丑测补 as they are attainted by udaya (rise) of the karma. But from the point of view of application some labdhis are 蝉腻惫补诲丑测补 (sinful) and some are nirvadhya (non-sinful or spiritual) as some leads to nirjara and some leads to bondage of new karmas.
There can be a question that how many labdhis can be attained at a time? To this, Jainendra Siddh膩峁卼a 碍辞艣补[6] quotes that at a time two or more labdhis can be attained. There are some labdhis that are attainable individually such as tejo labdhi, vaikriya labdhi etc. There are some labdhis that are attained in a group or as a set in a conjunction. These can be enumerated as 鈥渦mberella labdhis鈥� such as鈥�骋补峁嘺诲丑补谤补 labdhi, Arhat labdhi, Caturda艣ap奴rva etc.
As it is been said in 顿丑补惫补濒腻,
鈥�Buddhi tapa viuvanosaha rasa bala 补办办丑墨峁嘺 sussarat膩do, oh墨 ma峁嘺pajjavehi ya havant墨 驳补峁嘺 v膩lay膩 sahiy膩鈥�[7]
Means, 鈥渨ith attainment of 骋补峁嘺诲丑补谤补 labdhi there is association of many other labdhis such as buddhi, vaikriya, 补耻峁诲丑颈, rasa, bala, ak艣墨namah膩nasa, susvar膩dhi 峁沝诲丑颈s鈥�.
Further, there might be a question that can at a time two or more labdhis be in action or application? To this, the answer is relative鈥搕he projection or application of some labdhis can be together and some labdhis cannot be. For example, the contrary labdhis such as vaikriya and 腻丑腻谤补办补 cannot be activated together.[7] Whereas the labdhis such as 驳补峁嘺dhara, 产墨箩补 buddhi, pad膩nusari buddhi can work together. But still it is matter of further research.
There might be a question that which labdhis is accounted as the highest or supreme labdhi? It can be inferred from the available description that, the labdhis attained in the intermediary state of spiritual journey are not the supreme one, rather each of the labdhi have their own significance but the labdhi attained as an end of spiritual practice can be accounted as the highest labdhi in other words labdhi can be attained by 办峁测辞辫补蝉补尘补 of karma is not supreme but the labdhi attained by 办峁测补 of karmas is supreme. Of all the labdhis the attainment of 办别惫补濒补箩帽腻苍补 labdhi is the end of spiritual journey and it is attained by the 办峁测补 of the karma. Hence, this labdhi can be accounted as highest one. Moreover, the capacity of 办峁测辞辫补艣补尘补 labdhis can be presented and expressed in the words but the attainment of 办峁测颈办补 labdhis cannot be expressed in the words, they are ineffiable. Thus, this categorises the 办峁测颈办补-办别惫补濒补箩帽腻苍补 labdhi as the absolute mystical experience.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
叠丑补驳补惫补墨 (Part 3), 2005, 9.37.
[3]:
[4]:
Ibid, p. 22.
[5]:
叠丑补驳补惫补墨 (Part 5), 2015, p. 387.
[6]:
Dhavala, Vol. 9,4.1.44. Satkhand膩gamah T墨ka of Virsena, 艢谤颈 Bhagavat-Purpadanta-Bhutabali 笔谤补苍补迟补岣� 艢补迟丑补苍诲腻驳补尘岣�, 艢谤颈 痴颈谤补蝉别苍腻肠腻谤测补-痴颈谤补肠颈迟补-顿丑补惫补濒补-罢墨办腻-厂补尘补苍惫颈迟补岣�, Caturthakha峁囜笉e, Vedan膩n膩madhaya, Krtianuyogadv膩ra峁�, 贬颈苍诲墨 叠丑腻峁Ｄ乶耻惫腻诲腻-罢耻濒补苍腻迟尘补办补 Tippana Prast膩van膩 膧di Aneka-Par艣i峁ａ弓a岣� Samp膩dita岣� Samp膩dak.: Hiralal Jaina, Sahasamp膩daka. Ph奴lacandra Siddh膩nta艣膩str墨, A.N.Up膩dhya, Jain S膩hityddh膩raka Fund, Amaravati, 1949.V.38, p. 128.
[7]:
Jainendra Siddh膩峁卼a 碍辞艣补, Part I, p. 457.