4.Ekattva bhavana:and 5.Anyattva Bhavana:

4.Ekattva bhavana:

‘Ekattva’ in simple words means ‘one-self is alone’, or rather the self-soul is alone or solitary.

See, the meaning of this thought is to explain that no one is your’s except for you yourself that is the self-soul.Not even the body in which the soul resides is your’s then how can any other person or thing can be of the self-soul.And if nothing is of self-soul then why to have feeling or faith of belongingness in the non-self others ? And this misconception is the cause of all our sorrows and our vicious cycle of birth and deaths.

“Aap akela avtarey ,marai akela hoy

Yu kabahun iss jeev ko saathi sadaa na koi.”

Sri Bhudhardasji says that you take birth alone and when you die that time also go alone, no one comes with you nor goes with you.So there is infact no companion of your’s.You means self-soul is all alone.

“Janmey marey akela chetan , such-dukh ka bhogi,

Aur kisi ka kya ek din yah deh judi hogi……………….”

Sri Mangatramji says that this soul takes birth and dies all alone .And even when this body has to be left after death then who else can belong to this soul? Means no one is companion of this soul.And when on your death your family members cries they actually cries for the attachment with your body and the happiness they were getting from.They can come with the body till the cremation only and what after that?

Just as we meet people in a fare etc , we meet the so-called family in a life and we have to leave them and go all alone after death and we don’t know whether we’ll meet them again or not.!!!

In Chah dhala Sri daulatramji says that whatever deeds or karmas are done by thius soul- whether good or bad,their results will have to be suffered by this soul all alone.And your son, wife etc are only for their selfish aspirations, they cannot share the sufferings from the results of your karmas.

“Mai ekaaki ekattva liye ekattva lye sab hi aatey

Tan dhan ko sathi samjha tha par ye bhi chhod chaley jaatey”

Sri Yugalji says that I means self-soul and other souls all are all-alone in themselves,no one is a companion of the other.He says that if the soul thinks that his body, wealth etc are his friends or companons then, he is totally wrong as these things also leaves him at death

5.Anyattva Bhavana:

“Anyattva” means to have difference and distinctness.”Anya” means “the other”.

Well, it will be cleared under the following description.

Actually this thought or feeling says that the soul is distinct in itself and he is different and totally distinct from ‘the others’ like body and other pudgal (matter and energy) and other souls.

“ Mere na huey ye mai insey ati bhinn akhand nirala hun

Nij mai par se anyattva liye nij samras peeney wals hun”

Sri Yugal ji says that the body and wealth etc are not of the soul’s and the soul is absolutely different from them and is indivisible in itself and is distinct and unique.The soul is distinct and different from all ‘the others’ in himself and he enjoys his self-soul’s own eternal bliss.

Sri Daulatramji in his Chhah dhala says that when the soul and body which resides in the same space units just like milk and water are actually different and distinct from each other, then the other things like weath, house etc which can be clearly seen as different from the soul, can be that of the soul’s.Means nothing , not even the body in which the soul resides is part of the soul and the soul is separate and distinct from all these non—self ‘the others’.

Sri Mangatramji very nicely describes this feeling of anyattva or the distinctness of the soul.He says that in this world due to beginingless ignorance of this soul, he is full of misconceptions and he is just like a deer who searches water in the dry desert as he sees falsely a source of water in the desert.And he actually never gets water as water is not there in reality in the desert and it was only a misconception of the deer.Same is the state of this soul in this world .He also searches happiness in the worldly things like body, wealth etc, but they cannot give him happiness in reality.

He says that the soul has to understand that he is different and body is different, he is knowledgeable while the body cannot have knowledge and both are absolutely different, but are residing in the same space units like water and milk and that is why he is mistaking them as one and the same.

The soul is distinct from all ‘the others’ and he should always strife for getting the right faith , right knowledge and right conduct to get salvation.

Dr. Amit Prakash Jain

2.Asaran Bhavana: and 3.Sansar Bhavana:

2.Asaran Bhavana

“Asaran”- means no-sheltor or no-protection.No jeev or soul can be saved from death by anybody or any means.One has to die and leave this body one day- and this is unavoidable truth.

“Samrat mahabal senani uss kshan ko taal sakega kya? Asaran mirth kaaya mai harshit nij-jeevan daal sakega kya?”

Sri Yugalji says that whether he may be a great, brave , warrior king,but can he avoid his death?Can he put back his life into his deadbody?

“Sur asur khagaadhip jetey,mrig jyon hari, kaal darey tein,

Mani mantra tantra bahu hoyee, martey na bachaavey koi”

Sri Daulatramji says that the kings of devtas i.e that is Indras, king of Asur-devtas,kings of birds and all of these, were killed by death just like a deer is killed by lion.And, no precious miraculous things like manis,various mantras or mystical verses etc were able to help them to avoid death.

No one can give you shelter or “saran” in this world.Only our self-soul is the only shelter or saran for us.

Lastly, Sri Bhudhardasji says “dal bal devi devta maat pitaa parivar, marti biriyaan jiv ko koi na raakhan haar”. He says that your parents, your relatives, your power, the gods and goddesses – no one can save you at the time of your death.You have to die, no one is your protector.!!!

So, Asaran bhavana tells us that we should not believe anybody as our shelter or protector in this world.We have to die one day and that our Self-soul is the only true shelter for us.

3.Sansar Bhavana:

Sansar means world in general. What is sansar ?

Combination or association of dravyas or substances is called as sansar.So this world is nothing but an association of all the 6 substances viz.soul, pudagal (matter and energy), dharma, adharm, akash and kaal.

Now why we have to think about this world? We have to do this to see the real nature of this world which is sorrowful and can never give us true happiness.In this sansar we that is the souls are roaming about from one birth to another due to our misconception and ignorance.

“Daam bina nirdhan dukhee, trishna vas dhanwaan,

Kahoon na such sansaar mai sab jag dekhyo chhan.”

Sri Bhudhardasji says that because of lack of wealth a poor is unhappy in this world, but a rich is also not happy here because he has greed for more and more and like this, he says, no one is happy in this world.This world cannot give us happiness.

“Chahun gati jeev bharey hai,parivaratan pachcha karey hai

Sab vidhi sansar asaaraa, yaa mai such naahi lagaara”

Sri Daulatramji says that in this sansar the souls are wandering in the 4 gatis or 4 gategories of states like as in heaven, hell, human beings and as animals etc.And, the souls are experiencing the 5 times of changes which are dravya, kshetra, kaal, bhaav,and bhay means substance,place,time,feeling or thought and life respectively.

But, in all these states the soul is getting sorrow only and there is not even a bit of happiness in this world or sansaar.So we should think this world as sorrowful and should divert ourselves towards our self-soul which is the real and eternal cause of joy foe us.

“Sansar mahadukh sagar ke prabhu dukhmay such abhaason mai

Mujhko na mila such kshan bhar bhi kanchan kaamini praasaadon mai.”

Sri Yugal ji says that that there were many instances in this world which were actually sorrowful but due to my ignorance they appeared to me as that of joy.But in all those things also like wealth and woman etc, I didn’t got a pinch of joy or true happiness even for a moment.

There is nothing in this world which can give a soul joy.Soul can get true joy only in the self-soul.

So, The Sanasr Bhavana tells us to see this world as sorrowful and try to get rid of this vicious cycle of birth and death which is making us to travel in this sorrowful world.

An english expalantion of the 12 feelings or barah bhavanas or Barah Anuprekshas

“Muni sakal vrati badbhaagi, bhav-bhogan tein vairagi

Vairagya upaavan maa e ye chintyo Anupreksha bhai”- Chhah Dhala

It means that the munis or the revered veetragi monks are having the complete vows and are detached from the various worldly pleasures.To obtain such a detachment, the meditation on the Anupreksha or the Barah bhavanas or the twelve feelings are like Mother.

Actually these are the feelings or thoughts about the reality of this world, about our true nature and the causes as well as treatment of the sorrows which are suffered by the soul from the beginingless time.

Many of our acaryas, munis and vidwans and poets have tried to put these 12 thoughts or feelings in their own words in the best possible ways.Most of you must be knowing many of these.Some are very popular ones.I have chosen a few of them for this write up.Some of them is “Raja rana chhatrapati” by Bhudhardasji, Anuprekshas of Chhah dhala by Daulatramji,”Kahaan gaye chakri” by sri Mangatramji and the barah bhavana in the Jaimala of dev-shastra- guru puja by Jugal Kishoreji Yugal.

I have tried my level best, to present these.But, mistakes are natural to appear as I am neither good in understanding nor the language.So wise men are requested to accept my apologies and to correct it.

I will post these bhavanas in various successive posts.

Thanks.

1. Anitya Bhavana :

“Anitya” means that which is not stable.

This world is not stable, means whatever we are seeing are destructible. We are actually seeing the particular states or paryayas of dravyas or substances. Paryayas are not stable and they changes.(but dravya is nitya or stable as it is never destroyed).

“Raja Rana Chhatrpati,haathin ke aswar, marnaa sab ko ek din apni apni baar”

Means,whether he is a king , emperor and used to ride on elephant with great pomp and show, but everyone including him, has to die one day when his turn will come.

“Jhoonthey jag ke sapney sarey,jhoonthi man ki sab aashayein

Tan jeevan youvan asthir hai kshan bhangur pal mai murjhayein”

Here, the poet says that false are all the dreams of this world and false are all the aspirations of our minds, because this body of our’s,this life and this youth is unstable.These are very temprory and will be destroyed with in no time.

“Kahaan gaye chakri jin jeeta bharakhand saraa?”

Sri Mangatramji asks that where have those chakravarti kings gone who had conquered the entire Bharat kshetra? Where are those Ram and Lakshman who killed powerful Ravan? Where is Krishna, his wives Rukmani and Satyabhama etc and that all their wealth and the town made of gold? They are not present today, all have to die one day.

So,the Anitya bhavana says that nothing is forever or permanent in this world.So we must not be attached with the worldly situations , states and relations as they will be destroyed one day for sure.

Dr.Amit Prakash Jain

Jinvani Prayer with simple english meaning.

Dear all. Here is a simple english translation of the Jinvani stuti which we recite after any Shastra-sabha.I beg yr pardon for my mistakes and hope that the wise-men will correct it while reading. Regards. Dr. Amit Prakash Jain Mithyatam nashveykhon,gyan ke prakashveykhon Aapa-par bhas veykhon bhanu si bakhani hai Means: The words of Sri Jinendra that is Sri Jinvani is like Sun for: the destruction of the darkness of illusions and wrong beliefs that is mithyathva, for spreading the light of knowledge, and for differentiating between the self-soul and the non-self others. Chhahon dravya jaanvey khon, bandh-vidhi baan veykho Swa-par pichhan veykhon param pramani hai Means: Sri Jinvani is the most reliable source for : Knowing all the six substances, Understanding the karma bondage, to understand what is the self-soul and what are the non-self others Anubhavatay veykehon,jeevon ke jataay veykhon, Kabhau na sataay veykhon,Bhavya urr aani hai Means Sri Jinvani has appeared into the hearts of Bhavya souls (those who will attain samyakthva soon ) for : Making them experience the knowledge about self-soul, to alert the souls about themselves, to prevent them from any sorrows. Jahan tahan tarveykho,paar ke utaar vey kho,sukh vistar veykhon Yehi Jinvani hai. And finally Sri Jinvani is the one which is for the betterment of all souls,for sailing them to the shore of the sea of the birth and death and for giving them infinite bliss and joy. Ja vaani ke kyan tein soojhey lokalok,soh vani mastak dharon sadaa de thon dhok. Means: With the knowledge of Jinvani, there comes the knowledge of all the living as well as non-living worlds.To that Jinvani,I will always bow down and pay my Obeisance. Hey Jinvani Bharti tohey japun din-rein,jo thari sharna gahey so peavey such-chain. Means : Oh mother Jinvani !!! I recite you day and night,as the one who takes your protection gets happiness and satisfaction. “oh Jinendra !!! I beg your pardon and sak you to forgive me for any mistakes done by me in this write-up- knowingly nas well as unknowingly.

How we get the results of our karmas or deeds?

Acarya Vidhyasagarji , in one of his pravachans, told about one 'Arkant mani' (mani is precious stone kind of thing).This mani has a a quality that whenever it comes in sunlight, fire is produced. Our case is also the same. When we get sunlight of dravya ,Kshetra, kaal etc then the arkant mani of our karmas , produces fire of ‘results’ or ‘karma-fal’.

See neither sunlight alone nor the arkant mani alone can produce fire.But an association of both is required for the production of fire.So, the dravya, kshetra,kaal etc are all nimittas or instrumental causes to produce or express the fruits of our own karmas.

So, if we criticize the nimmithas or the instrumental causes as the real cause of what is happening to us then we are wrong.We have to take these nimmitha only as the facilitators while the real cause of the happenings is our own karmas which we had bonded to our souls.

Then, Acarya Sri says that, we can do some kind of protection.Like for instance , there is a lot of hot sunlight , then what we can do? We cannot avoid it completely, but we can close our eyes.This can give us little bit of protection.Also we can face in different direction that is opposite to that of sun.This will also give us some protection.

He says that Acarya Pujyapad has said in his “Isthaupdesh” that we have to “pashyan pina pashyati” ‘dekhtey huye bhi nahi dekhe’ means should not see after seeing also.It is upchar or treatment.How can we avoid seeing, if we are infact seeing it? Well, it is difficult, but is the only treatment.If a karma is giving you its results then what can you do? Just try to ignore it or see it with indifference or see it in its true sense that yaa I had done such a thing that is why it is happening to me and the place or person through which it appears to be appearing to me are actually not the real causes.They are just the nimmithas.

Dr. Amit Prakash Jain.

What are Anga and Purvas in Jainism?

Well, whatever Sri Gautam Swami, the gandhar or the prime student of Lord Mahavir got from thee, he compiled it into 12 parts called as dwadas ( twelve) angas.There was also knowledge from the tradition of Pre-Lord Mahavir, that is from Lord Parshvanath's tradition and even from before that.Those were called as "Purvas".The word 'purva' itself means 'before'.In our texts there is mention of 14 purvas. These 14 purvas are described in the 12th anga of Jinvani which is called as 'Dristivaad' anga. Unfortunately the knowledge of these purvas was lost after Sri Bhadrabahu Acarya.It will be worth to mention that many of these purvas were dedicated to the description of the secret magical knowledge,super-natural powers ,astrology,future-telling etc apart from tattvas,dravyas and ayurved. A story ,I had heard that Once Sri Bhadrabahuji saw a muni using these powers, and got the intuition that in the forthcoming times, this knowledge can be misused.So it is said that he didn't preached these knowledge.Sri Bhadrabahuji who was the guru of Chandragupta Maurya, was the last person to have knowledge of all these 14 purvas apart from all the other angas .After him for nearly 170 yrs the Acaryas like Vishakhacharya , Dharmsen Acarya etc were having knowledge of only the first 10 purvas.But after, this no one had knowledge of purvas. Only Dharsen acarya who used to live in a cave in Girnarji, was having the knowledge of some chapters of the 2nd purva named as Agraayani.He taught this to two brilliant munis named as Bhutbaliji and Pushpdantji, who compiled this into granths- mostly into Sri Shatkhandaagamji.So, Shatkhandaagam is a treasure for us, it has the knowledge which came from the shraman tradition of pre-Mahavira period.The time period of compilation of Shatkhandaagam is said to be about 160 AD. It is also worth-mentioning that some chapters of the 5th purva that is gyanpravad was known to Acarya Gundhar and on the basis of which he wrote Kashay-Pahud granth. Now, what happened to the Angas? Well, as per digambers the knowledge of the 11 angas was were lost and are not available and they were lost in something like within 200 yrs of the nirvana of Mahavir.But Swetamber tradition says that the 11 angas’ meaning and principles etc were preserved and were then written down by the jain monks after some 1000 yrs of nirvana of Mahavir.But digambers do not accept their authority. What are Anga-Bahyas Agams? These were the expanision of the angas by the srutkevalis or the monks who were having the knowledge of atleast 10 purvas.But, these srutkevalis also not found after Sri Bhadrabahuji was at the time of Chandragupta Maurya. Now these anga-bahyas are also said to be lost by digambers.However, the swetamber do accept their exixtence.But,all the sanghas of swetambers are also not unanimous on that.Murtipujak swetambers accepts 34 anga-bahya agams while sthanakwasi and terapanthi swetambers have only 21 of these.It is said the agams which are not accepted by these latter two are related to idol-worship and related things which these sects don’t believe.

The Terapanth of Digambers was started by a Swetamber:

Pt. Banarasidas ji was born in a swetamber jain family.He was the person who established the terapanth of Digamber jainism.

In terapanth of digamber jainism, they do abhisek of Jina idol only with Water and do not do panchamrit abhisek as in Beespanth of Digamber jainism.They also do not use Flowers and non-dry fruits like apple, orange etc for Jina-puja.

In digamber-terapanth , woman do not touch jaina idol and also do not do Jina-abhisek.

Terapanthi-digambers are mostly in bundelkhand,UP and parts of Rajasthan.

There is no concept of bhattaraks in terapanth-digambers.

Terapanth of digambers was established in a period when the jain-pujas have become very magnificent with the use of panchamrit abhisek and flowers and sweets and fruits etc.

In digamber-terapanth, one more imporatant salient feature is that they do not worship Yaksha-yakshinis like Padmavati devi etc.They believe that the concept of shaashan devi-devta was a later addition in jainism in the gupta period, due to the influence of brahminism.

The period when terapanth-digamber tradition took its shape was nearly the same when Sthanakwasi tradition started in Swetambers, who didn't believes in odol-worship.Similarly , Taaranpanth was started in the same time in digamber jainism in the budelkhand region, who also didn't believe in idol worship.

But, due to the emergence of terapanth in digamber tradition, most of the people accepted it rather than Taaranpanth which was against idol-worship.

Terapanth-digambers do idol-worship but in a very simple form.

Dharm dravya in Jainism:

This should not be confused with the dharm which we commonly refer to as "Nature of self soul", "Ahimsa" etc. Dharma dravya is one amongst the 6 dravyas or substances as per Jainism. It is the substance which helps in the motion of the other dravyas.See, dharm dravya itself doesn't moves other substances viz soul or pudgal, but if a soul or pudgal moves then it is helpful in its movement.Take for eg: Track of the railways. Well tracks do not move the train but help the train to move and without the track a train cannot move, and so though train and track are two separate and different entities but then also the movement of train is helped by track. So is the relation of dharm dravya with the other dravyas.Thought alll dravyas are separate or independent but these kind of relationship is seen. "Dharmaastkaaya bhaav" (from Tattvartha sutraji)- means a soul will go upto the top of this Lokakash and not beyond it as there is no dharm-dravya beyond it.That is why Sidhha bhagwan stops at the topmost part of the lokakash. Similarly adharma-dravya is the substance which helps the souls and pudgals to stop. Dayanand Saraswati in his book "Satyarthaprakash" criticises the concept of dharm and adharm dravya, as he says that these cannot have independent existence and are carrieed by the souls themselves.But, it can be seen that he is confusing with the dharm and adharm with the dharma- dravya and adhrama- dravya. Dr. Amit Prakash Jain

Jain theory of karmas : a perspective

Jain theory of karmas was always criticized by the Buddhists and the advaitis etc. JAIN THEORY OF KARMA SAYS THAT EVEN IF A KARMA IS DONE WITHOUT INTENTION THEN ALSO YOU HAVE TO GET THE RESULT OF IT. Buddhist says that the karma gives results only when done with intention. That is one of the reasons why Buddhists are allowed to eat meat of an animal which is neither killed by them, nor purposefully killed for them.But the question arises why will a butcher kill any animal if people like these are not going to come to buy the meat? Jain theory also asks one question, that if a child who don't know what a fire can do, puts his hand in fire then will the fire not burn his hand because it will think that this little child don't know about me? No, the fire will burn his hand also. But, yes one thing that buddhists and advaitis mistook in our theory was about the importance of intention.See if a karma is done intentionally then the strength of the bondage of karma will much more stronger as compared to that which is done unintentionally. Suppose a soldier kills a person to protect his country will have a simpler type of karma-bondage as compared to the one who kills an animal for his fun.!!! So we can see the strength of bondage of karma with the soul depends on time, place, person , specific situations and one’s thoughts and feeling. Dr. Amit Prakash Jain