Week 5 - Notes - Nav Tattva

Week 5 Notes

Nav Tattva – the 9 Fundamental or Realities

Having studied what is Karma and how it affects the soul, we now need to understand 9 fundamentals of Jainism, without which we cannot know what to do with the cause and effect theory of Karma.

Tattva means the true or real substance or nature of something. 

Recall that we are the studying the path of liberating the soul, we studied that by binding Karma in various ways the soul binds itself to continued life and death.  The aim is to shed all karma and not bind new ones in order to break free and be liberated.

Jiva and Ajiva

These are the first 2 fundamentals.

1       JIVA – the true nature of Jiva is infinite knowledge, infinite equanimity and existence in equilibrium, infinite perception and happiness.  It has consciousness.  The true nature of Jiva is to be entirely free of all Karma.  It is invisible, indestructible and shapeless.

2       AJIVA – on the other hand we have everything that is not Jiva.  Ajiva does not have consciousness.  All those things which by nature have no knowledge or happiness.  Ajiva can be divided into matter, media of motion, media of rest, time and space.  Ajiva is necessary for the Jiva to move.

Matter (pudgal) – its true nature is to have taste, touch, smell, colour and form.  Karmic particles are a form of matter or pudgal.

We must understand the difference between Jiva and Ajiva.  Jiva is what matters, we are Jiva, our bodies are just matter.  Jiva has to co-exist with matter, it has been doing so since time immemorial.  In this co-existence, Karmic law comes into play.  The law of Cause and Effect.

3       ASHRAV - Influx of Karma.  This is the next and 3^rd Tattva.

Ashrava means the influx of karma or binding to our souls, Jiva. 

The ways in which Karma influx happens:

5 Senses – sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste

4 Inner Enemies (Kashay) – anger, ego, greed, deceit

5 Indulgences – not following the 5 principles

Wrong Belief, carelessness

Mind, Speech and Action

By controlling all of the above, we limit the influx.

Adopting the 5 main principles helps in this.

We bind good karma as well as bad karma.

Which takes us to the next 2 tattva – Paap and Punya

Sometimes these are treated as part of Ashrav tattva, so people may talk about the 7 tattva.

4       PUNYA – good Karma are bound by doing good deeds.  Giving charity, helping the poor and elderly, showing compassion, consoling at time of tragedy, doing darshan and puja.  Punya activities also lead to influx of Karma, but result in positive effects.

5       PAAP – any form of deceit, anger, harassment, gossiping, maligning, criticizing, etc lead to influx of Karma that results in negative effects.

As soon as Ashrav takes place whether its nature is Paap or Punya, what follows is the next tattva.

6       BANDHA – Binding or Bondage of Karma.  As soon as influx of Karma takes place, they are bound to the soul.  Bondage happens as soon as you react to any situation.

Jain philosophy prescribes ways of shedding off existing Karma and avoiding new Karma, finally reaching Moksha or liberation.

7       SAMVAR – Stoppage.  Once bondage of Karma takes place, the first thing that needs to be done is to avoid the influx and bondage of additional new Karma.

Closing the gates of Karmic influx:

·       Right Faith and Attitude

·       Abstinence and Self Restraint

·       Spiritual Awareness

·       Freedom from Passions

·       Controlling Mind Speech Body

8       NIRJARA – this next tattva is about shedding Karma that are already bound.

Karmic matter needs to be separated from the soul.  In order to achieve that requires practice of 12 austerities, 6 of which are external for mental and physical cleansing.  The other 6 austerities deal with emotional cleansing.

9       MOKSHA – this is the last tattva.  Liberation.

Why do we have Karma – it is a reminder that tells us that we need to do something to address the Karma.

The objective of the 9 tattva is to change the self, not the world. It changes the outlook on life, our perception and it purifies our intellect, so we make better choices.

The mystery of happiness and unhappiness, good and bad, fame and

disgrace and similar dualities are resolved in understanding 9 tattva.

Anything that happens in our life can be explained through 9 tattva.