Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates 鈥楥haracteristics of Mystical Experience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.
5. Characteristics of Mystical Experience
Mystical experience is a suigeneris. It is an experience of wholeness, an experience of external and experience of 鈥榓ll inclusive I鈥� am鈥�. It is an experience of unity, the ultimate goal of all knowledge, of all worldly endeavour, the summit of human attainment which all men knowingly or unknowingly pursue.[1]
Mystic experience is of the nature of an immediate intuition of reality, in which senses and reasoning power ceases to function or function extra ordinarily. This mystical experience is greatly personal subjective and mysterious.For the mystic himself it is somewhat difficult to express or represent the intensity or profundity of the experience. For common people it is beyond understanding.One can know about it through its characteristic features.
Willam James[2] describes four characteristics of Mystical experiences:
1. Ineffability[3] 鈥� A mystical state has the quality of ineffability i.e. it defies expression in terms of which are fully intelligible to one who has not known some analogous experience.
2. Noetic quality[4] 鈥� Noetic quality of a mystical state is the state of insight into depth of truth, unplumbed by the discursive intellect, insights which carry with them a tremendous sense of authority.
3. Transiency[5] 鈥� Mystical state is transient in nature i.e. it does not sustain for long. There is a invariably a speedy return to normality.
4. Passitivity[6] 鈥� In the mystical state mystic feels a sense of loss of his own will and is grasped by a superior power.
In additional to the Willam James marked features, the Happold enlists the following characteristics of mystical experiences:
1. Sense of Unity鈥� In mystical state the dividing line between the knower and the known disappears i.e. the ordinary distinction between experience and subject ceases[7] and their is undifferentiated unity.[8]
2. Sense of Timelessness鈥� The mystical experience is an experience of universal consciousness. The mystic having infinite vision grasp beyond the time鈥搒pace unit[9]. As the Happold states鈥揊or the mystic feels himself to be in a dimension when time is not, where all is always now.[10]
3. Encounter of True Self鈥� It is a sense that mystical experience reveal the nature of our true self, one that is beyond life and death, beyond difference and duality and beyond ego and selfishness. The mystic is firmly established in the self.[11]
Other than above features we also find the following features:
4. Objective Reality鈥� Mystical experience is the experience of truth and reality.[12] The mystic experiences all the objects directly through the soul.[13]
5. The Experience is Life Changing鈥� The Mystical experience opens a new window to a new life. As it is said, 鈥淏y contacting a higher power, a man can live an entirely new life, both in here and now and in the there and here after.鈥�[14]
6. Unity of Paradoxity鈥� In the mystical experience the mystic experiences the typical reconciliation of the polar opposites i.e. it appears to be a strange combination of contradictory states simultaneously.[15]
7. Doubtless State鈥� In the mystical experience, mystics are aware of ultimate reality at first hand with such vividness and such vitality that there is no room for doubt. All the doubts are resolved forever.[16]
8. Live with Divine鈥� Mystical experience in its totality, a mysterious manifestation of the supreme. The theistic mystic experiences the presence of divinity everywhere, whereas the non-theist mystic experiences his own divine nature.[17]
9. Moral Elevation鈥� A mystic with mystical experience is totality absorbed in love and affection, tolerance and forgiveness etc. It is from the enlightened mystic that the moral values flow.[18]
10. Transcendental Consciousness鈥� Mystical experience is a transcendental consciousness. Here the mystic rise above the conscious and sub-conscious state and experience the ultimate truth, the transcendental truth by his supra-consciousness.[19]
11. Emotional Height鈥� Mystical experience is a state of emotional height. It brings uncomparable blessedness, infinite bliss, joy and peace,[20] a sense of overwhelming beatitude of salvation.
12. Supreme Knowledge鈥� The mystical experience is a state of omniscience, where mystic access all the aspects of reality which is obtained by direct soul and which is not accessible to the intellect or reason. It is supreme as it constitutes infinite knowledge.[21]
13. Validity is Subjective[22] 鈥� Mystic experience is of the nature of an immediate intuition of reality which defies all description. Though mystic may not be able to demonstrate its validity, to the mystic his experience is fully and absolutely valid and is surrounded with complete certainty.[23]
14. Intuitive Insight鈥� Mystical experience is direct and immediate intuitive apprehension of reality[24], R.D. Ranode states 鈥淢ystical life involves a full exercise of the intellect, feeling and will and that in addition, it bring into operation that faculty called intuition by which one gets directly to the apprehension of reality.鈥�[25]
15. End of Life鈥� In mystical experience the mystic in his direct vision of the reality reaches, something which as he defines it ought to be the end and culmination of life, all continuance and anticlimax[26]. It is the culmination of all human endeavour and spiritual practices.[27]
16. State of Freedom[28] 鈥� Mystical state is a state of freedom where soul is free from every type of foreign things such as karmas, material things etc. that is other than the spirit.
Jaina Mysticism is characterised by all the above features except transiency and passitivity. According to Jainism, the mystical experience i.e. the state of self realisation is permanent state of all knowing and eternal bliss.[29] As per Jainism the mystic is activist, who actively participate in the welfare of self and other people.[30] According to scholars, the mystical experience that constitutes either of these above features can be attained only by passing through certain definite stages, which they call the treading of the mystic ways, which is the active, practical and the discipline life of mysticism.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
History of Mysticism, Introduction
[2]:
James, Willams, The Varities of Religious Experience, Longman and Green co., London, 1962, pp. 252-253
[3]:
Mysticism: A Study and An Anthology, p. 45.
[4]:
Ibid, p. 45.
[5]:
Ibid, p. 45.
[6]:
The Varities of Religions Experience, 1961, p. 253.
[7]:
[8]:
Mysticism and Philosophy, p. 87.
[9]:
叠丑补驳补惫补墨, (痴颈腻丑补辫补峁囜箛补迟迟颈), Synod-Chief 膧肠腻谤测补 罢耻濒蝉墨, Editor and Anntator 膧肠腻谤测补 Mah膩praj帽a, With Text, Sanskrit Commentary, Hindi Translation and Bh膩峁a (Critical Annotations) with 痴峁泃迟颈 of Abhyadevas奴r墨 and Appendices-Indices etc., Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun, Part. 2, 2000, 5.109,67; 笔谤补惫补肠补苍补蝉腻谤补 by 膧肠腻谤测腻 Kundakunda, With Commentary by Am峁泃acandra and Jayasena Introduction in English by A.N. Upadhye, 艢ri Paramashrut Prabh膩vaka Mandal, 艢rimad Rajchandra Ashram Agas, 1984, 1.21-22, 37.
[10]:
Mysticism: A Study and An Anthology, pp. 47-48.
[11]:
狈颈测补尘补蝉腻谤补 by 膧肠腻谤测补 Kundakunda, With Tatparya痴峁泃迟颈 and Sanskrit T墨k膩 by Padmaprabha Malladharideva, 艢ri Sai Sahitya Publishers, Calcutta, Todarmal Sarvodaya Trust, Jaipur, 2002, 158; 笔谤补惫补肠补苍补蝉腻谤补, 1.15.
[12]:
A Critical Study of Religious Philosophy of Rudolf Otto, p. 129
[13]:
狈颈测补尘补蝉腻谤补, 160; 笔谤补惫补肠补苍补蝉腻谤补, 1.21.22.
[14]:
Howard, Vernon, The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power, Parker Publishing Company, New York, 1980, p. 8.
[16]:
膧c膩r膩峁単a Bh膩峁a峁�, 5.123-125, 137, 139.
[17]:
笔谤补惫补肠补苍补蝉腻谤补, Introduction, p. 87.
[18]:
[19]:
笔谤补惫补肠补苍补蝉腻谤补, 1.9, 11, 14, 63; 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补辫谤补办腻艣补 and 驰辞驳补蝉腻谤补 by Yogindudeva, With commentary, Hindi Translation and Introduction by A.N. Up膩dhye, Paramshrut Prabhavak Mandal, 艢rimad Rajendra Ashram, Agas, 1988., 驰辞驳补蝉腻谤补, 6.
[20]:
Ibid , 2.106
[21]:
狈颈测补尘补蝉腻谤补, 176
[22]:
笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补辫谤补办腻艣补 and 驰辞驳补蝉腻谤补, Introduction, p. 47.
[23]:
Mysticism: A study and An Anthology, p. 19.
[24]:
Vi艣e峁Ｄ乿a峁aka Bh膩峁a by Jinabhadraga峁嚹� 碍峁尘腻艣谤补尘补峁嘺, Nirde艣aka, 膧肠腻谤测补 Mah膩praj帽a and 膧肠腻谤测补 惭补丑腻艣谤补尘补峁嘺, trans. 厂腻诲丑惫墨 Muditaya艣h膩, Part 1, Jaina Vishva Bharati, Ladnun, 2014, 822-823; 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补补辫谤补办腻艣补 and 驰辞驳补蝉腻谤补, 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补补辫谤补办腻艣补, 1.99-100.
[25]:
Mysticism in Maharashtra: Indian Mysticism, p: xxxviii.
[26]:
Types of Philosophy, p. 273.
[27]:
叠丑补驳补惫腻苍补 惭补丑腻惫墨谤补, p. 38.
[28]:
罢补迟迟惫腻谤迟丑补 厂奴迟谤补, 10.3; 狈颈测补尘补蝉腻谤补, 166, 178, 180.
[29]:
Vi艣e峁Ｄ乿a峁aka Bh膩峁a, Part 1, 823.