संप्रदायातीत चेतना
Summary
Jainism has liberated the concept of liberation from sectarian confines, offering it a universal and expansive scope, which is a significant step in awakening a trans-sectarian consciousness. According to Jainism, religion is as pervasive as the sky; it is not the heritage of any particular sect but a life-pervading truth attainable anywhere, anytime, by anyone. The Jain philosophy never accepted that liberation requires practice within a specific sect. This trans-sectarian consciousness holds the potential to become a world religion, characterized by a broad perspective and universal conduct and thought. Certain Jain tenets affirm this universal thinking, such as the declaration that even a person who has never heard or understood religion can become a kevali (omniscient). The term "asoccha kevali" embodies this universal truth, extensively analyzed in the Bhagavati Sutra. This text establishes two types of religion: pravartita (instituted) and naisargika (natural). In natural religion, a person neither hears nor follows any religion, yet attains special capabilities, including eleven specific powers like knowledge, perception, and conduct, through a natural process of gradual kshayopashama (subsidence of karmic veils). The asoccha kevali is defined as one who has not heard religious teachings from any of ten types of enlightened beings. Such individuals achieve these capabilities through a natural, self-occurring process, similar to a stone becoming smooth in a river current. The Bhagavati Sutra details similarities and differences between asoccha and socca (those who hear religion), including lifespan, height, and liberation, while noting differences in leshya (psychic color), knowledge, and passions. This principle, along with the fifteen types of siddhas (liberated beings) in the Nadi Sutra, affirms that liberation is accessible to all humans regardless of sect, gender, or status, emphasizing human effort and providing a monumental, trans-sectarian religious framework.
Conclusion
The document establishes that Jainism’s concept of the *asocca kevali*—one who attains liberation without ever hearing or following any formal religious doctrine—profoundly redefines the path to spiritual freedom. By asserting that a person can achieve the highest spiritual capacities, including omniscience, through a natural, untaught process of karmic attenuation, Jainism dismantles sectarian boundaries and affirms a universal, non-sectarian dharma. This principle validates that liberation is accessible to all, regardless of caste, gender, language, or religious affiliation, and that no single tradition holds a monopoly on salvation. The implications are far-reaching: it challenges institutionalized religion’s gatekeeping, elevates innate human potential over prescribed rituals, and offers a radically inclusive framework for spiritual attainment. Ultimately, this doctrine positions Jainism not as a closed sect but as a universal philosophy, providing a powerful, egalitarian vision of enlightenment that transcends all human-made divisions.