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जेन-योग

Vol. 48 · No. 01Janurary 2000pp. 29-33Hindi

Summary

The text explains the Jain yogic path to self-realization, beginning with the premise that all restlessness originates in the body, with speech and mind dependent upon it. When bodily activity is restrained, speech and mind become inactive, a state called *kayotsarga*. The fundamental duality in the world is *atma* (soul) and *anatma* (non-soul). The soul, initially impure, can be purified through *sadhana* (spiritual practice), which aims to realize the soul's eight natural qualities. The soul has three states: *bahir atma* (external, lacking discernment), *antar atma* (inner, possessing discernment and practicing means), and *param atma* (supreme, the perfected state). *Sadhana* has four components: *jnana* (awareness), *darshana* (realization), *charitra* (self-absorption), and *tapa* (self-restraint). Practice is structured in three classes: the five *anuvratas* (minor vows), the five *mahavratas* (great vows), and the tenfold attainment of *vitaragata* (passionlessness), which includes control over food, sleep, and posture; *pratisamlinta* (withdrawal of senses, mind, passions, and possessions); *prayashchitta* (analysis and dissolution of mental knots); *vinaya* (humility); *seva* (service); *svadhyaya* (study); *kayotsarga* (relinquishment of the body); and *dhyana* (meditation). *Kayotsarga* is the cessation of body, speech, and mind, practiced for specific durations measured by breaths. Obstacles to self-realization are the five *asravas* (inflows): *mithyatva* (wrong vision), *avirati* (non-restraint), *pramada* (laxity), *kashaya

Conclusion

This document outlines a structured path for spiritual purification through Jain yogic practices, emphasizing the progressive stages of self-discipline. The implications are that liberation is not a passive state but an active, methodical process of shedding external attachments and internal impurities. The detailed classification of vows, meditative states, and contemplative practices provides a clear roadmap for transforming the soul from its impure, worldly state to its pure, intrinsic nature. The outcome is a systematic framework for achieving self-realization, where the practitioner moves from external control of body and speech to the ultimate stillness of mind, culminating in the separation of soul from body. This text serves as a practical guide for those seeking to transcend the cycle of karma and attain the final goal of spiritual emancipation.

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