Samyagdarśana: Right Belief

This ignorance receives various names: avidyā for the Buddhists, aviveka for the sāṅkhya, mithyātva for the Jainas. In every case, however, it represents a misunderstanding or lack of awareness of one’s “true nature”, as well as of the factors, which cause that nature to be hidden from view. Thus it follows that elimination of ignorance provides the key whereby the shackles of bondage, hence of suffering, can be removed.

Certain difficulties come immediately to mind. If one has been in state of bondage since beginningless time, why will he suddenly turn away from delusion and set out upon a new course? What are the conditions that could bring about this momentous shift, conditions which have never been present before? These are among the most difficult questions that any stereological system must face, for each possible answer presents its own set of problems. If, for example, the factors required to turn a soul away from delusion and towards salvation have been eternally present in that soul in some potential, then we must seek the crucial external causes, which bring those potentialities into a manifest state. Can the soul, moreover, in any way influence the appearance of such “efficient causes”, or does it remain totally at their mercy, languishing helplessly in bondage until some force beyond its control brings them into play?

Perhaps more than any other Indian religious tradition, Jainism is imbued with an emotional commitment to self-reliance. Thus Jainas have found both theistic (grace) and fatalistic (sudden escape) doctrines repugnant, for these doctrines not only negate the efficacy of the Tīrthaṅkaras path, but they totally deny soul’s ability to influence its own future.

Jains grant the soul great powers of manipulation with regard to the karmas. For a Jaina the knowledge, bliss, and energy can never be totally extinguished, whereas karmic influence is subject to complete elimination. Hence the soul possesses a sort of built-in advantage, an ever-present tendency to develop its qualities and temporarily reduce the influence of the karmas. When Jainas say that a soul is free to work at its own salvation, it is this inherent tendency towards self-improvement that is referred to. Thus a soul will again and again progress to transitory states of relative purity and insight, only to be driven back by onrushing karmas, until a moment when the attainment of such a state coincides with the sort of external “activating” conditions mentioned above. We do not know precisely what happens at that moment; it would appear, however, that the bhavyatva (capability to become free) is moved to exert its catalytic influence upon the energy qualities, thereby redirecting it towards mokṣa. The mysterious event completely alters the future of the soul; its bonds of saṅsāra begin to unravel, and ultimate salvation is assured.

The first step therefore is to encompass the notion of samyaktva; it is due to which the further development is possible.

Samyagdarśana is rendered as right belief or right faith or right attitude or right conviction. From the real point of view, samyagdarśana means a sense of realization of self. From practical point of view samyagdarśana means a firm belief in the fundamental principles of Jainism, as propounded by Jinas. Vyavahāra samyagdarśana i.e. practical point of view may be said to be the means of niścaya samyagdarśana i.e. real point of view. Nature of samyagdarśana as defined and expressed by different ācāryas in their works is given as follows:

The Uttarādhyayana defines samyaktva as belief in the nine categories. 1 In the Darśanapāhuda, Kundakunda also defines samyagdarśana as a firm belief in the six substances and nine categories.2 In Moksapāhuda, he expresses the same idea in different words by defining samyagdarśana as belief in the dharma devoid of violence, in faultless deity and the way of life, prescribed by the omniscients.3 In Niyamasāra, samyagdarśana is explained as a belief in liberated souls, Jaina scriptures and Jaina principals.4 In Mulācāra, the samyagdarśana is defined as belief in nine categories.5

Svāmikārtikeya added belief in non-absolutism as a condition for samyagdarśana 6 He held that the nature of nine categories cannot be rightly ascertained without the help of pramāna and naya.

Umāsvāti, who is followed by Amṛtacandrācārya and Nemicanda Siddhāntacakravarti, defines samyagdarśana as belief in the seven predicaments of Jainism.7

Samantabhadra defines samyagdarśana as a belief in true deities, true scriptures and true teachers as against the three follies of belief in pseudo-deva, pseudo-belief and pseudo-teacher. Samantabhadra also speaks of the eight essential of right faith and the necessity of freedom from eight types of pride for a right believer.8

Vasunandi in the śrāvakācāra says that, in addition to belief in the seven predicaments, samyagdarśana includes belief in liberated soul and Jaina scriptures.9

Criterion or Right Belief, according to Jainism is the manifestation of the following characteristics:

Right belief is the starting point of the life of śrāvaka. The essence of a religion is determined by the nature of belief upheld in it. The moral code of a religion necessarily based on the nature of the belief propounded there. The mental and moral discipline prescribed for a layman, srāvaka, in Jainism is inspired by the 5 criterions of belief / faith noted above:

1. An excited person, who becomes the victim of his own ill-considered actions, and is overcome by such negative ideas as that of rage, hatred and jealousy, cannot focus his energies with a single-minded devotion to the purpose of liberation. The calmness comes from the realization of the true aim of life.

2. A true aspirant of liberation is not only detached from all worldly pleasures but is also afraid of them because these allurements can take him away from the right path. This is called samvega and comes from the realization of the fact that happiness comes from within and not from without, hence he remains absent of hankering.

3. A right believer is not a bigoted, hard-hearted and bitter man but has respect for all, willing to let others lead a happy life, and has tendency of proving helpful in the miseries of others.

4. He understands the equality of all.

5. He has friendship for all (maitrī) but feels special bondage of kinship for those who are spiritually advanced (promoda). Those who are away from truth, he tries to improve their lot (karma). But if they do not listen to him, he does not develop any hatred for them; he rather becomes indifferent to them (mādhyasthya.)

Besides these five primary moral qualities, a right believer is asked to renounce eight types of pride, i.e. the position of relatives on the maternal side (jātimada), the position of relatives on the paternal side (kulamada), beauty (rupamada), strength (śaktimada), austerities (tapomada) and honour (arcanāmada).

The awakening of belief / faith: the spiritual awakening of a person sometimes takes place after a prolonged association with saints and study of religious literature. It can also take place spontaneously without any effort. This awakening is called samyagdarśana i.e. right belief or right view of things. This right view is technically called samyagdarsana which we have rendered as right belief /faith. Belief in essence is a kind of knowledge based on the vision of truth. In Jainism, this belief is explained as the consequence of lessening the intensity of passions as anger, pride deceit, and greed. These passions have a deluding faith. They act as impediments to spiritual awakening. These impediments are due to Karman, which covers and mutilates the inherent qualities of the soul.

1	Nisaggarui (nisargaruci)	Spontaneous faith in Jīva, Ajīva, Puṇya, Pāpa, Āsrava, Samvara etc. in the framework of substance, space, time and modes, as propounded by the Jina.
2	Uvaesarui (upadeśaruci)	Firm faith in the above mentioned tenets on the basis of the instructions of a follower of the Jina (with imperfect knowledge) or the Jina himself.
3	Aṇarui (ājṅāruci)	Faith in the command (of the enlightened one) as a result of the suppression of lust, hatred, delusion and ignorance.
4	Suttarui (sūtraruci)	Firm faith consequent upon the deep study of scriptural law in all its varieties.
5	Bīyarui (bījarui)	Faith that permeates arising from a single word through all others, even as a drop of oil poured in water spreads over the entire surface.
6	Abhigamarui (abhigamaruci)	Faith arising from a deep understanding of the scriptural law.
7	Vitthārarui (vistāraruci)	Faith arising from a detailed study of everything through various organs of knowledge and different standpoints.
8	Kiriyārui (Kriyāruci)	Faith arising from a genuine active interest in the triple gems namely Daṅsaṇga, Nāṇa, and Caritta, as well as penance, modesty, truth, careful conduct and restraining.
9	Samkhevarui (samkṣeparuci)	Faith arising from a brief study of the scriptural lore, which is free from obstinate attachment to wrong views, even though not well versed in them.
10	Dhammarui (dharmatuci)	Faith arising from a deep understanding of the ontological realities, the scriptural lore and the moral and mental discipline.

Four fold Sammatta saddahaṇā (samyaktvaśraddhāna):- A true cultivation of faith consists in acquaintance with the highest truth and association with those who have realized the truth and avoidance of the company of the misdirected people. 10

1	Sussusā	Strong desire to hear the scriptures.
2	Dhammarāo	Predilection for the practice of the discipline.
3	Gurudevānām Jahā Samāhiya, Veyāvacce Niyama	Compulsive reverence for the teacher and the deity. 11

1	Samkā (śamkā)	Doubt about the variety of the tenets propounded by the Jina in part or as whole.
2	Kamkhā (kāmkṣā)	Desire mundane or super mundane. This is the interpretation given by Umāswāti and Siddhasenagani. 12 Haribhadra in Āvasyakatīka has given a different meaning, which appears more plausible and cogent. As addiction to or appreciation of many fold doctrines, (kāmkhā annannamsaṇa gaho) in part or in whole.
3	Vittigicchā (vicikitsā)	Misdirected intelligence resulting in doubt about the outcome of a spiritual discipline.
4	Parapāsamdapasamsā (parapākhāmdapraśamsā)	Appreciation of followers of heretical creeds.
5	Parapāsamdapasamthava (parapākhāmdasamstava)	Association with heretical teachers.13

The fourth transgression differs from the fifth in as much as the former means secretly thinking admiringly of wrong believers, whereas the latter means announcing the praise of wrong believers loudly. Banarasi Dasa in his Nātakasamayasāra, (13-38) has given the following list of transgressions of right faith:

• Fear of public censure
  
• Attachment towards worldly pleasures
  
• Thinking of attainment of worldly pleasures in the next birth
  
• Praise of false scriptures
  
• Service of wrong believers.

The firmness of an aspirant’s belief is indicated by the following eight qualities, which are essential characteristics of Samyagdarśana. All these characteristics together make the faith complete and effective.

1. Nissamkiya (nisśamkita): absence of doubt the variety of the tenets propounded by the Jina in part or as whole. The right believer, because of this quality, is free from the seven fears of
   
   

   1. This world
   2. Another world
   3. Death
   4. Pain
   5. Accident
   6. Absence of protector and
   7. Absence of forts, etc. 14
      
      This shows a state of complete fearlessness, which is obviously necessary for a moral life.
      
      
2. Nikkamkhiya (nihkāmśita): absence of appreciation of manifold doctrine or having no desire for the worldly pleasures. It comes from the firm belief that worldly enjoyments are ephemeral, fraught with miseries, root of sins and evils. 15 A right believer, therefore, has a detached view of life. According to Amṛtacandrācārya, he has non-absolutistic attitude and avoids one-sided view. 16
3. Nivvittigicchā (nirvicikitsā): absence of doubt in the result of spiritual discipline. A right believer should not have any repulsion from the impurity of the body of a person possessed of three jewels. 17
4. Amūdhadiddhi (amūdhadṛṣti): un-deluded vision. Right believer does not follow the wrong path even if it may sometimes lead to seemingly favorable results. He disassociates himself from that person who follows the wrong path.18 This is not out of any hatred for them but because of the possible dangers of deviating from right path by their association. 19 He should not recognize violence as right under ant fear or greed. 20 He should avoid pseudoguru, pseudo-deva, pseudo-scripture, pseudo-conduct and common false conceptions. 21
5. Uvavrṅhana (upabṛṅhaṇa): confirmation of faith. The right believer should perpetually endeavor to increase his spiritual qualities. 22 Another name for these characteristics is Uvavūha (upagūhana), consisting in concealing one’s own merit and demerits of others. 23
6. Thirīaraṇa (sthirīkaraṇa): steadfastness of faith. Any time any one may be tempted by passions to follow the wrong path. It is the duty of the aspirant to re-establish him and others also on the right path by reminding him of its glory. 24
7. Vacchala (vātsalya): Affection for faith. It includes respect for spiritual principles and for those who follow them.25 One must be devoted to meritorious persons, show respect to them and speak nobly. 26
8. Pabhāvanā (prabhāvanā): glorification of faith.27: One should try to propagate the truth to others also by means of charity, austerity, devotion, profound learning, by such means as are suited to the time and place. 28

It may be observed here that the first five characteristics pertain to the individual life of the aspirant whereas the last three pertain to the social aspect of religion.

A question is raised on the numerical discrepancy between these eight limbs and five aticāras in respect of faith/belief. Expanding the connoting of the last two aticāras namely parapāsamdapasamsā and parapāsamdasamthava to cover the opposite of the last five limbs eliminates the discrepancy.

Kundakunda in his Samayasāra has also explained the above eight characteristics from a different point of view. 29

There is always a tendency in the soul to run away from the circle of worldly existence. But this centrifugal tendency is thwarted by a centripetal force that keeps the soul tracing the circumference of the world process. The centripetal force consists in the passion of attraction (rāga) and repulsion (dveṣa) or rather root like perverted attitude (mithyātva) towards truth. The centrifugal tendency is the soul’s inherent capacity for emancipation, that is, the part of characteristics potency of the soul, which still remains unhindered or unobscured. It is this centrifugal tendency that ultimately leads the soul to the right path, to the virtuous ones only, because different individuals have different degrees of power manifested in them.

The soul, during the course of its eternal wanderings in various forms of existence, sometimes is possessed of an indistinct vision of its goal and feels an impulse from within to realize it. This impulse is the work of eternal centrifugal tendency. The impulse is a kind of manifestation of energy, technically known as yathāpravṛtta Karaṇa. It is not always affective and so does not always invariably lead to spiritual advancement. But sometimes it so strong and irresistible that it goads the soul to come to grip with the centripetal force and to weaken it to an appreciable extent in the struggle that ensues. Here the soul is face to face with what is known as graṇthi or the Gordian knot of intense attachment and repulsion. If the impulse is strong enough to cut the knot, the soul is successful in the struggle and ought to be emancipated sooner or later within a limited time. The struggle consists in the twofold process known as apūrvakaraṇa and anivṛttakaraṇa.

By the yathā pravṛttakaraṇa the soul is confronted with the concentrated force of the passions, and the other two karaṇas enable the soul to overpower and transcend the force. The force of the passions was there from all eternity. But it is only on some occasions that the soul is feelingly conscious of this force. Such consciousness means coming face to face with the knot (graṅthi). This consciousness is the work of the process called yathāpravṛttakaraṇa. During this process the soul undergoes progressive purification every instant and binds the karmic matter of appreciably less duration. Further more, there is increase in the intensity of the bondage of auspicious karmas accompanied with the decrease in the intensity of the bondage of inauspicious karmas. And as a result the soul gets an indistinct vision of goal of its tiresome journey. This may be thought as the implication of the conception of granthi- and the soul’s coming face to face with it.

Originally the soul lies in a state of spiritual slumber. Gradually it awakens and becomes self-conscious. Moral and spiritual consciousness dawn only when it is sufficiently conscious of and confronted with the force that has eternally been keeping it ensnared and entrapped. But this consciousness alone is not sufficient to enable the soul to overcome the force. A more powerful manifestation of energy is necessary for the purpose. And the soul that lack in this requisite energy fails to fulfil the mission and withdraw before the force. It is only the soul having the requisite energy by way of the two process of apūrvakaraṇa and anivṛttikaraṇa at the end of which the soul develops such spiritual strength as is destined to gradually develop and lead it to the final emancipation. In the process of apūrvakaraṇa, which like the yathānivṛttakaraṇa lasts only for less than forty-eight minutes, antaramuhurta, the soul passes through such states as it never experienced before (apūrva). The soul had considerably reduced the duration and intensity of the karmas in the process of yathānivṛttakaraṇa, and reduced them still further in the apūrvakaraṇa. The karaṇas are spiritual impulses that push the soul to fulfil its mission and realize the goal. And this is possible only if the soul can reduce the duration and intensity and also the mass of the karmic matter associated with it. What the soul did automatically without any moral or spiritual efforts until now, it now does consciously with spiritual exertion. During the process of apūrvakaraṇa the soul undergoes such purification, as has colossal effect on the duration and intensity of the bondage of new karmas as well as the accumulated ones. This is made possible by the following four sub processes, which begin simultaneously from the very first, instant of the main process:

1. sthitighāta: destruction of duration
2. rasaghāta: destruction of intensity
3. guṇaśreni: the construction of a complex series of the groups of karmic atoms, arranged in geometrical progression with an incalculable common ratio, transplanted from the mass of karmic matter that would have come to rise after an antarmuhurta for the sake of their premature exhaustion by fruit and
4. apūrvasthitibandha: an unprecedented type of bondage of small duration, whose length much smaller than that the duration hitherto bound.
   The soul undergoes yet another sub process known as
5. Guṇasamkrama: transference of karmic matter.

This process transfers a portion of the karmic matter of the inauspicious type of karma to some other types of karma. The mass of karmic matter thus transferred increases every moment until the end of the apūrvakaraṇa process.

There are thus five characteristics sub-processes in the process of apūrvakaraṇa. At the end of this process the knot (granthi) is cut, never to appear again.

The first process of yathāpravṛttakaraṇa leads one face to face with the knot and the second process of anivṛttikarṇa leads the soul to the verge of the dawn of the first enlightenment that comes like a flash on account of the absolute subsidence of the karmic matter of the vision deluding mithyātvamohanīya karman.

The soul undergoes the same five sub-processes in the process of antarakaraṇa, whereby the soul divides into two parts the karmic matter of the vision deluding Karman that was to come into rise after the anivṛttikaraṇa. The first of the two parts the soul forces into rise during the last few instants of anivṛttikaraṇa while the rise of the second part is postponed for an antarmuhūrta during which no karmic matter of the vision deluding karman is allowed to rise and produce its effect on the soul. Thus at the end of the process of anivṛttikaraṇa the vision deluding karman has no effect on the soul for an antarmuhūrta. This antarmuhūrta is the period when the souls enjoys the first dawn of enlightenment or the spiritual vision i.e. samyagdarśana or samyaktva the manifestation of Praśama, samvega, nirveda, anukampā & Āstikya.

The soul has what are called “attributes” or characteristics or qualities. The attributes are manifested or become apparent in various human behaviours; one such being that can be termed as anukampā that the compassion, (beyond the commonly experienced emotional love) and therefore not susceptible to the changes and uncertainties which occur with emotion. That is, emotional love can change to the emotions of hatred and bitterness. The notion of compassion (unconditional love) is neither based on psychological need nor on reciprocal benefit. One does not love unconditionally or one does not become compassionate for the “pay-off”. Compassion is some underlying force or energy, which when expressed results in unbiased manifestation of beneficial human characteristics such as sense of equality, caring, releasing misery. Compassion is the fundamental attribute of human nature, valued throughout the globe, and throughout the ages.

Granted hatred, harm and destruction have occurred under the guise of love but this is not the same as compassion that is an aspect of a more developed human nature. Compassion attribute of soul motivates or determines the benevolent conduct of people in their relation to other living beings. There are cases of young children, who without prior influence refuse to eat meat because it is from animals that have been killed, or because they do not want animals to be hurt or to suffer.

This nature instinct of compassion attribute influences people’s conduct and result in their attempting not to harm living beings.

It comes from within, ‘inside’ and not from outside, this natural need of anukampā motivates non harming behaviour towards nonhumans and which results among other in greater feelings of harmony, peace, happiness, and identity with them.

Philosophies, one of them like Jaina philosophy can do a great service to many people by providing a rational base for what is a complex and often difficult to articulate, fundamental human experience, traditionally referred to as the ‘soul’.

Society at large is experiencing an increase in incidents of violence leading to harm and detrimental debilitating feelings of fear and insecurity. In light of the increasing need of humans to give in harmonious co-existence with other life-forms on this planet and importance of compassion for such occurrence, it would be important and beneficial to investigate samyagdarśana phenomenon with its kinds and limbs, so that humans can further develop non harming aspect of their nature.

Our own happiness and well being is linked to our treatment of all living beings. Samyagdarśana provides the insights into the reality of our non-harming nature represented by śama or praśama, the first characteristics of samyagdarśana. Regarding anukampā, the compassion, the logical questions arise:

• How can someone love another being and at the same time be willing to kill that being?
• How can someone possess the capacity to love and happiness and also the capacity to kill?
  The current animal rights movements has primarily been focusing on the treatment of certain nonhumans discussing upon the characteristics that animals have in common with humans. Based on this ethical philosophical standpoint each living being should receive the same moral treatment as that advocated for humans, that is equal concern, care and consideration. Thus the thrust has been on presenting a greater understanding of what is know as the ‘other’. Service to other is service to self and others, service to individual and universe.
• Why does the sight or thought of other’s suffering (animal suffering etc.) provoke a strong reaction to assist them in some people and little or no reaction in others.
• Why do some people attempt not to harm any living being while other people do not hesitate to exploit and kill non humans if they desire so?
• Why people change from harming to no harming?
  It is because of manifestation of inherent attributes ‘anukampā’. It is the self that enables the development of such benevolent behavior. Some may say this change is a subject matter of psychology and sociology. Yet the philosophy of self also involves these questions. If someone professes to love animal, one cannot kill and eat them or satisfy fashion desire like using promoting use of animals for testing cosmetics, encouraging use of silk, leather etc. Knowledge & practice of anukampā can resolve the contradiction of love and killing, overcoming the emotional love by anukampā, the compassion.
• The question is that is anukampā possible? The answer is yes it is not only possible but it is found to be the expression of fundamental nature of human in their ideal state, perfect state.

Emotions are subject to change often depending upon ever changing situations and circumstances. Anukampā is an attribute of self or soul, this knowledge and reason can overcome the emotional terrorism and hatred.

Concern for other life forms is the underlying principle of anukampā. Anukampā is an expression of permanent pure soul, which implies consistency, and sustained impartiality overtime. This anukampā is natural not conditional, and represents pure soul, it cannot change in hatred or disliking.

Lack of energy or fatigue may affect emotions, anger, hatred may manifest in place of love but anukampā is not subjective, it is universal and based on self-control, it cannot cause destruction, pain, and suffering. Hatred and happiness cannot live together. Happiness out of compassion is an attribute of soul; it does not include killing, harming and hatred.