Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates 鈥楥oncept of God in Upanishads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.
4.2. Concept of God in 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉
[Full title: Concept of God: A Mystical Reality (2) God in 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉]
The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 are monotheistic in nature. The Ultimate Reality that mystic seer experiences is named as 鈥�Brahman鈥�.
It is proclaimed that鈥�
鈥淭丑别 Brahman is the Rahasya (mystical).鈥�
Anything or any uttering about him is mysticism.
While describing the 鈥�Brahman鈥�, the unitive state with Brahman or identification of Brahman and atman or self-realization, the mystic feels himself as un-expressible, but still, they express partly the ultimate reality in negative as well as in positive ways:
1. Positive and Negative Expression
B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 诲别补濒蝉鈥�
鈥�tasya 辫谤腻肠墨 dik 辫谤腻苍虅cah sa esa neti netyatma; agrhyo na hi g峁沨yate, a艣墨ryo nahi siryate, asango na hi sajy膩te, asito na vyathatena ri峁ati; 补产丑补测补峁僾补颈 janaka鈥�
This self is that which has been described as 鈥榥ot this, not this鈥�. It is imperceptible, for it is never perceived; undecaying, for it never decays; unattached, for it is never attached; unfettered. It never feels pain, and never suffers injury[2]鈥�
Kena 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 enigmatically describes Brahman 补蝉鈥�
鈥�anyadevatadvidit膩datho avidit膩dadhi鈥�鈥�
It is not uttered by speech, that by which speech is revealed; that which man does not comprehend with the mind, that by which mind is encompassed; that which cannot be seen through eyes but where power helps the eye to see, that is Brahman[3].
The 碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes the Self 补蝉鈥�
鈥�Asadamaspar艣amarupamavyaya峁�, tatha rasam鈥�..tanm峁泃yumukh膩t pramucyate.鈥�
It is 鈥淪oundless, touch less, colorless, undiminishing and also tasteless, eternal, odourless, without beginning and end, distinct from mahat and ever constant[4].鈥�
He is eternal among non-eternals, the principle of intelligence among the intelligent, the one who alone dispenses the desired objects to many, for such alone is eternal peace and for non-else.[5]
Emphasizing the omnipresence quality of Brahman, the 惭耻峁囜笉补办补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 explains it with the metaphor as the whole cosmos is assumed as the body of Brahman and its part as various limbs. It states -鈥�Heaven as his head, the moon and the sun as his two eyes, the directions as two ears, revealed Vedas as His speech, air and heart and it is the form whose two feet emerged the earth.鈥�[6] While explaining the glory of Brahman, 惭耻峁囜笉补办补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes, 鈥渢丑别 divine truth is vast and beyond all imagination; that is, it is smaller than the smallest, the greater than the greatest. It is farthest as well as very near in the heart鈥�[7].
2. Paradoxical Nature
When Yajnavalkya was challenged by Gargi in the assembly of Janaka, he expounded Brahman in paradoxical manner.
This immutable Brahman is that so鈥�
鈥�hav膩ca etadvai tadak峁ram g膩rg na tada艣nati ka峁ave鈥�
鈥淚t is neither gross nor fine, neither short nor long, neither redness nor oiliness, neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor ether unattached, neither savour nor odour, without eyes or ears, without it does not eat anything, nor does anybody eat it[8] 鈥�.
The 莫艣a 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes the paradoxical nature as Brahman 补蝉鈥�
鈥淭丑补迟 moves, that does not move; that is far off, that is very near; that is inside all and that is outside all[9] 鈥�.
3. Abode of Brahman
When it is questioned that where does Brahman reside? To this the Keno 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 蝉迟补迟别蝉:鈥�
鈥�蝉补迟测补尘腻测补迟补苍补尘鈥�
鈥淭ruth is his abode[10]鈥�.
Mundaka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 蝉迟补迟别蝉鈥�
鈥淗e is seated in the cavity of heart[11]鈥�.
Whereas, the Mandukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 尘别苍迟颈辞苍蝉鈥�
鈥渢丑别 Supreme Reality is hidden into the Supreme word 鈥�AUM鈥�.[12]
4. Form and Nature of Brahman
While explaining the form and nature of Brahman, the mystic says鈥�
鈥�Brahman is a pure intelligence[13]; he is truth, knowledge and infinite[14] 鈥�.
鈥�Hiranyamaye pare ko艣e virajam braham鈥�.yadatma vido viduh[15] 鈥浓赌�
鈥淭丑别 innermost sheath of the golden hue, dwells Brahman, the stainless and indivisible. He is purity he is light of lights.鈥�
5. Non-Comprehensible and Inexpressible
The mystic seer in expressing the Brahman states that the reality (that is united in this state is) cannot be comprehended with the senses, mind and intellect as it is said in Taittirya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲鈥�
鈥�yato v膩c膩nivartante. Apr膩pya manasa saha鈥�
鈥�Brahman is not the subject of speech or mind. In fact, speech or mind turns back from it[16]鈥�.
Kena 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 别虫辫濒补颈苍蝉鈥�
鈥�anyad eva tadvidit膩datho avidhit膩dadhi....鈥�
鈥淭丑补迟 Brahman is surely different from the known and again it is above the known[17]鈥�.
Moreover,
鈥�na tatra cak峁rgacchati na v膩ggacchatti na manah na vidmo na vij膩n墨mo 鈥�
鈥淭丑别 eyes does not go there, nor speech, nor mind. We do not know Brahman to be such an; hence we are not aware of any process of instructing about it[18]鈥�.
Accordingly states 碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲[19] -膧迟尘补苍/Brahman is superior over intellect, mind, object and senses[20].
6 膧迟尘补苍 and Brahman
The illumined seers who have reached the final stage of realisation, declares that the self and the God are one.[21]
Describing the marked difference of nature between self and Brahman, The B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 蝉迟补迟别蝉鈥�
鈥淎s a lump of salt is without interior or exterior, entire, and purely saline in taste, even so is the Self (Brahman) without interior or exterior, entire and pure consciousness/ Intelligence alone. The self (individual being) comes out as a separate entity from these elements; this separateness is destroyed with them. After attaining this oneness, it has no more particular consciousness.鈥�
鈥淭丑别 Brahman that is immediate and direct and the self that is within all.鈥�[22]
The enlightened says this (self) indeed is that Brahman[23]. This immutable Brahman is never seen but is the witness, is never heard but is the hearer, it is never thought but is the thinker, it is never known but is the knower.[24]
The 碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 explains it with the analogy of two birds 迟丑补迟鈥�
鈥淭丑别re are two birds, where one enjoys sweet and bitter fruits of trees and other just sees[25]鈥�
I.e. the observer or witness is Brahman.
In the enlightenment experience the illusion of separateness ceases. The mystic realises that which identity has always been the truth.
Therefore, the mystic expresses his unity of the self with the Supreme principle, Brahman as:
鈥�idam sarvarh brahma鈥�[26]鈥斺�淎ll this is Brahman, Aham Brahm膩smi[27]鈥浓赌擨 am Brahman,
鈥�Tatt tvamasi{GL_NOTE:258961:鈥浓赌攜ou are that,
鈥�Ayam膩tm膩 Brahman[29]鈥浓赌擳his atman is Brahman,
鈥�Prajnanam Brahma[30]鈥浓赌�Brahman as consciousness or knowledge.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.3.17.
[2]:
The Message of B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.2.4; 2.3.6; 3.9.26.
[3]:
[4]:
碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.3.15.
[5]:
Ibid 2.2.13
[6]:
惭耻峁囜笉补办补 and M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.1.4.
[7]:
Ibid 3.1.7, 碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 1.2.20.
[8]:
The Message of B峁沨ad膩峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.8.8 p. 457.
[9]:
莫艣a 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, verse 5
[10]:
Kena 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.8
[11]:
惭耻峁囜笉补办补 and M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 惭耻峁囜笉补办补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.1.10.
[12]:
Ibid, M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, verse.8
[13]:
The Message of B峁沨ad膩峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.4.12.
[14]:
Taittariya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.1.1.
[15]:
惭耻峁囜笉补办补 and M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.2.9.
[16]:
Taittariya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.4.1.
[17]:
Kena 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.4.
[18]:
Kena 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.3.
[19]:
碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.3.2.
[20]:
The Message of B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.1.3.20.
[21]:
History of Mysticism, p. 39; The message B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.5.1.
[22]:
B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.4.1.
[23]:
碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.2.8.
[24]:
B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.8.11.
[25]:
碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.1.1.
[26]:
The Message of B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.5.7.
[27]:
Ibid, 1.4.10.
[28]:
Ch膩ndogya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 6.8.7.
[29]:
惭耻峁囜笉补办补 and M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, M膩峁囜笉ukya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 verse 2.
[30]:
Aitreya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, I.2.