Samayasāra (The Nature of the Self) is a famous philosophical text composed by Digaṃbara Ācārya Kundakunda in the 1st Century BC. It has 439 verses in ten chapters that discuss the nature of Jīva (pure self/soul), its false attachment to Karma and how it can attain Mokṣa. Samayasāra expounds on universal concepts and their emphasis in the philosophy of Jainism, such as Karma, āsrava (influx of karmas), Bandha (Bondage), Saṃvara (stoppage), Nirjarā (shedding), and Mokṣa (complete annihilation of karmas).

1. Saturday, 27th April 2024
By Dr Medhavi Jain
Founder, Dharma For Life
www.dharmaforlife.com
Kundakunda’s Samayasāra:
Present-day applicability
of the two-century-old text

2. Namaḥ samayasārāya svānubhūtyā cakāsate/
Citsvabhāvāya bhāvāya sarvabhāvāntaracchide//
-Ācārya Amr̥ tacandra
I bow to the purest soul, absolutely free from the karmic
matter, whose attribute is consciousness. That can only be
known and revealed by the self, to the self. That is all-knowing,
which means it knows all the living and non-living substances
of the universe at once, in their totality. I bow to the absolute
soul, to the God soul.

3. A Quick glance on today’s topics
A brief introduction to Samayasāra
What is there to know in the entire cosmos?
The unique teachings of the text
Samayasāra for whom?
Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra
Applicability in Daily Life
Who is the real ‘I’?
Leading life with the teachings of Samayasāra

4. Samayasāra by Ācārya Kundakunda:
A Brief Introduction
Samayasāra (The Nature of the Self) is a famous
philosophical text composed by Digaṃ bara Ācārya
Kundakunda in the 1st Century BC.
It has 439 verses in ten chapters that discuss the
nature of Jīva (pure self/soul), its false attachment to
Karma and how it can attain Mokṣa.
Samayasāra expounds on universal concepts and their
emphasis in the philosophy of Jainism, such as Karma,
āsrava (influx of karmas), Bandha (Bondage), Saṃ vara
(stoppage), Nirjarā (shedding), and Mokṣa (complete
annihilation of karmas).

5. Only two things to know in the entire universe?
The material world
The spiritual world
that seeks answer to
‘WHO AM I’

6. The Unique Teachings of the text
The teacher does not impose anyting on us.

7. I will show you the uniqueness of the self with oneness and
differentiated from others based on my rich knowledge of its
experience. You accept it after validation by your own
experience. However, even if your are not enlightened, do not
be ensnared, as it relates to the ultimate experience of your own
pure self.
Ācārya Kundakunda
He motivates the readers to have their own experiences and then only believe
his teachings.

8. The Practical Viewpoint
The Absolute Viewpoint
The teacher gives two approaches to understand the reality: one is the
practical point of view & the other is the real/absolute/transcendental
point of view. The practical point of view is the road that ultimately
takes the traveler to the absolute point of view.
The Practical Viewpoint
The Absolute Viewpoint

9. He compares the soul with a king, emphasising that if
the seeker pleases the soul king, the soul king also
expands and guides the worldly life of the seeker.

10. Mind
Eyes Ears
Tongue
Nose
Touch
Soul King
The teacher conveys that the mind and the five senses are like the
cabinet of the soul king. The mind is his closest ally and can, hence,
either manipulate him or show him the right way. But the ultimate
power lies in the hands of the king, and the king has to recognise it on
his own.

11. The Soul King
The teacher keeps giving examples of the king in various forms, saying
that all the karma, be it Dravya Karma, like his body, possessions, and
relations, or Bhāva Karma, like emotions, desires, etc., can be compared
to the king's army. Though the king is behind every action, he does not
directly perform those actions.

12. The Daily Life Examples given by the teacher
The way Sphatika reflects the colour of its surroundings, the soul reflects
the karma accumulated around it.
The way dry mud gets stuck on the oily body, the karma gets stuck to the
ignorant & deluded soul.

13. The way white clothe despite being
dirty doesn’t change its original
colour. The soul never leaves its
real essence.
The way white wall despite being
stained doesn’t change its original
colour. The soul never leaves its
real essence.

14. Gold remains gold no matter if it is mixed
in the mines in raw form or takes the
shape of a biscuit, ring, necklace, bangle,
etc. The soul stays the same, unaffected,
irrespective of the body it manifests in.

15. Instrumental and Substantive cause
In the making of a pot, the potter, sunlight, water,
heat, etc., are all instrumental causes. The clay is the
substantive cause that makes the formation of the pot
possible in the first place.

16. Instrumental
Causes
Substantive
Cause
Instrumental causes can be many, but the substantive
causes are only two: one is material and the other is
immaterial.
Fire & heat Sunlight The Potter

17. Nimitta-Naimittika Relationship
of the two Substantive causes
Nimitta is the instrument, and Naimittika is the ability to be that
on which the instrumental cause can work
The flour is the susbtantive cause
The cook etc., are nimitta
The wick is the susbtantive cause
The blow is the nimitta
The pan & the fire share the
nimitta-naimittika relationship

18. Cause & Effect are of the same nature
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute

19. Nimitta-Naimittika Relationship
of the two Substantive causes
can end with the efforts of the
conscious entity.
Possibility of the end of this beginningless relationship
This state is
named Mokṣa.

20. The matter & the soul live the closest,
but they are like parallel lines which
can never meet.
Like the oil in the seed fills its entire
body but differs from the seed.
Like milk mixed with water share the same
space points, the matter & soul exist.

21. The Highest Democracy in the entire universe
Of the people, by the people,
for the people.
Of the soul, by the soul,
for the soul.

22. Samayasāra for whom?
Very complex text but once
understood, it brings the seeker
on track

23. Samayasāra for whom?
Meant for the most restless
souls, who don’t find solace in
devotion, mantra chanting,
miracles, and rituals
Meant for
the Logical minds

24. Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra
Mind-Boggling concepts
of Practical Viewpoint &
Absolute Viewpoint to
understand reality
As the teacher describes something that is the subject
matter of realisation

25. One tends to take the absolute viewpoint as the most important
& ignores the importance of the practical viewpoint. Whereas
the teacher conveys that one cannot move ahead on the path of
knowledge without a complete understanding of the practical
viewpoint.
Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra

26. As this text emphasises the negation of the
following: a) identification with the other
substances (ekatva), b) my-ness with foreigner
substances (mamatva), c) credits for doership
(kartṛtva), d) and endurance-ship (Bhoktṛtva). One
may take these in a negative sense, i.e., as the
freedom to do whatever is wrong or unethical one
can.
Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra

27. Without contemplating that
eventually, the soul is the instrumental
cause behind all physical actions, and
all these actions will act as the
instrumental cause to attract
immensely heavy and painful kārmic
matter into the soul's space points,
which the soul itself will endure.
Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra

28. Challenges faced during studying Samayasāra
One may assume he can stay lazy and avoid hard work, as if
there is a substantive cause, things will inevitably be done.
The student must know that he has to work on his substantive cause
to move ahead on the path to know himself.
Lack of puruṣārtha

29. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
Relations
The Practical
Ego Self
Possessions
Pain, emotions, desires
The Absolute & the
practical exist parallelly

30. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
Practicality
Practicality
Practicality
Practicality
The Absolute & the
practical exist parallelly

31. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
Practicality
Actions/Karma
Concepts Labels
The Absolute & the
practical exist parallelly

32. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
Beneath every physical
misery, there is the
unaffected soul.

33. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute

34. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
The real ‘I’ is beyond genetics,
beyond familial or any other hierarchy,
beyond any religion or philosophy,
and beyond gender

35. Applicability in Daily Life
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
The real ‘I’ is beyond all the
senses & the mind

36. Then Who is the real ‘I’?
Pure ‘I’
The Absolute
Infinite Worldview
Infinite Bliss
Infinite Power
Infinite Knowledge

37. It is as if the train, which was halted till now, gets
back on the right track
Leading life with the teachings of Samayasāra

38. Leading life with the teachings of Samayasāra
We learn to declutter our minds & live life
without emotional baggage

39. Material possessions & relationships
1.
Material Karma (Dravya Karma)
2.
Psychic Karma (Bhāva Karma)
3.
Purest Soul, the real ‘I’ (śuddha jīva)
4.
1
2
3
4
Leading life with the teachings of Samayasāra

40. Leading life with the teachings of Samayasāra
Now we know where to find solace in the time of need