08-25-2022, 09:19 AM
Gatha 59
The Omniscient Lord has proclaimed that the knowledge that is self-born, perfect, spread over every object, stainless, and free from stages – including apprehension (avagraha) and speculation (īhā) – is certainly the absolute (pure) happiness.
Explanatory Note: Happiness or bliss has no associated anxiety. Direct, sense-independent knowledge is without anxiety; therefore, it is happiness. Indirect knowledge is dependent, as it takes help from outside agents (like the mind and the senses). It is incomplete, as it has envelopment of the karmic bonds. It is diminutive, as it does not cover the whole range of objects-of-knowledge (jñeya). It is murky, as it is accompanied by imperfections like doubt (saśaya), delusion (vimoha) and misapprehension (vibhrama). It knows in stages, including apprehension (avagraha) and speculation (īhā). Indirect knowledge is with anxiety, not the natural state of the soul, therefore, not happiness. Direct, sense-independent knowledge, on the other hand, is wholly independent, self-born out of the pure soul. It is complete and without envelopment as it pervades every space-point (pradeśa) of the soul with its infinite energy. It encompasses all objects-of-knoweldge (jñeya). Rid of the karmic dirt that hinders infinite energy and causes of imperfections like
doubt, it is pristine (nirmala). It knows without stages; it knows simultaneously the whole range of objects-of-knowledge (jñeya) in the universe and beyond, covering the three times. Direct, sense independent knowledge is without-anxiety (nirākula); it is the natural state of the soul, therefore, happiness.
Gatha 60
Perfect knowledge – omniscience (kevalajñāna) – is happiness without anxiety and this happiness is the consequence of knowing everything. There is no anxiety in omniscience
(kevalajñāna) since it is the result of complete destruction of the four inimical (ghātī) karmas.
Explanatory Note: Due to presence of the deluding (mohanīya) karmas, the soul relates itself to the external objects-of-knowledge (jñeya), turning away from the Reality, as if inebriated. Under the influence of the inimical (ghātī) karmas, not able to discriminate between the right and the wrong, it continues to dwell in the objects-of-knowledge (jñeya) through the senses and experience anxiety. It is clear, therefore, that presence of the inimical (ghātī) karmas contaminates knowledge; contamination of knowledge causes anxiety. In perfect knowledge – omniscience (kevalajñāna) – the inimical (ghātī) karmas are absent and, therefore, there is no anxiety; there is no effect without the cause. Knowledge of the infinite objects-of-knowledge, of the three times, is reflected simultaneously in the canvas of omniscience (kevalajñāna). Being independent of all external influence, there is no scope for anxiety in the state of omniscience (kevalajñāna). On destruction of all karmas that hinder the knowledge-nature of the soul, pristine knowledge, with infinite glory and strength, appears. The knowledge of the Omniscient pervades the whole of the universe and beyond; this supreme knowledge is utterly steady, no different from the soul and, being the nature of the soul, without anxiety. Therefore, omniscience (kevalajñāna) is real happiness; there is no difference between knowledge and happiness.
The Omniscient Lord has proclaimed that the knowledge that is self-born, perfect, spread over every object, stainless, and free from stages – including apprehension (avagraha) and speculation (īhā) – is certainly the absolute (pure) happiness.
Explanatory Note: Happiness or bliss has no associated anxiety. Direct, sense-independent knowledge is without anxiety; therefore, it is happiness. Indirect knowledge is dependent, as it takes help from outside agents (like the mind and the senses). It is incomplete, as it has envelopment of the karmic bonds. It is diminutive, as it does not cover the whole range of objects-of-knowledge (jñeya). It is murky, as it is accompanied by imperfections like doubt (saśaya), delusion (vimoha) and misapprehension (vibhrama). It knows in stages, including apprehension (avagraha) and speculation (īhā). Indirect knowledge is with anxiety, not the natural state of the soul, therefore, not happiness. Direct, sense-independent knowledge, on the other hand, is wholly independent, self-born out of the pure soul. It is complete and without envelopment as it pervades every space-point (pradeśa) of the soul with its infinite energy. It encompasses all objects-of-knoweldge (jñeya). Rid of the karmic dirt that hinders infinite energy and causes of imperfections like
doubt, it is pristine (nirmala). It knows without stages; it knows simultaneously the whole range of objects-of-knowledge (jñeya) in the universe and beyond, covering the three times. Direct, sense independent knowledge is without-anxiety (nirākula); it is the natural state of the soul, therefore, happiness.
Gatha 60
Perfect knowledge – omniscience (kevalajñāna) – is happiness without anxiety and this happiness is the consequence of knowing everything. There is no anxiety in omniscience
(kevalajñāna) since it is the result of complete destruction of the four inimical (ghātī) karmas.
Explanatory Note: Due to presence of the deluding (mohanīya) karmas, the soul relates itself to the external objects-of-knowledge (jñeya), turning away from the Reality, as if inebriated. Under the influence of the inimical (ghātī) karmas, not able to discriminate between the right and the wrong, it continues to dwell in the objects-of-knowledge (jñeya) through the senses and experience anxiety. It is clear, therefore, that presence of the inimical (ghātī) karmas contaminates knowledge; contamination of knowledge causes anxiety. In perfect knowledge – omniscience (kevalajñāna) – the inimical (ghātī) karmas are absent and, therefore, there is no anxiety; there is no effect without the cause. Knowledge of the infinite objects-of-knowledge, of the three times, is reflected simultaneously in the canvas of omniscience (kevalajñāna). Being independent of all external influence, there is no scope for anxiety in the state of omniscience (kevalajñāna). On destruction of all karmas that hinder the knowledge-nature of the soul, pristine knowledge, with infinite glory and strength, appears. The knowledge of the Omniscient pervades the whole of the universe and beyond; this supreme knowledge is utterly steady, no different from the soul and, being the nature of the soul, without anxiety. Therefore, omniscience (kevalajñāna) is real happiness; there is no difference between knowledge and happiness.