Right Vision - Samayag Darshan in Jainism

Right Vision (Samayag Darshan)

This has been defined and described by various authorities in different terms. Most acceptable, broad and general definition is that Right Vision means to hold truth as truth and untruth as untruth. Elsewhere Right Vision is described as inclination towards validly determining the true nature of things aimed at spiritual development.

To make it more circumspect and practicable Right Vision has been described in a restricted way as:

1. belief in two-fold division of the universe in the distinctive living and non-living elements.

2. belief in the interplay of soul and matter through the process of seven fundamentals; and

3. belief in True Prophets (like Jain Tirthankars) True Scriptures (like Jain Shastras) and True Preceptors (like Jain saints).

The above describes the positive side of the Right Vision. On the negative side, which is equally important, Right Vision requires rejection of untruth and skepticism. One should also not believe in false deities, false books and false teachers.

The importance of Right Vision cannot be emphasized too much. It has been given the first place out of the three jewels because unless one believes in what one knows how will one follow it. It is like digit 1, which, standing before the ciphers following it, gives them value. Without vision, knowledge and conduct are worthless like the ciphers without digit 1 standing before them. Just as one cannot have a tree without seed it is not possible to have Right Knowledge and Right Conduct without Right Vision. It is Right Vision which transforms knowledge into the Right Knowledge and conduct into Right Conduct. The faithful proceeds ipso-facto in the direction of self-restraint in conduct and equanimity in thought, by developing a sense of detachment i.e. freedom from infatuation and aversion to things worldly.

The soul may experience Right Vision as a natural process suo moto due to its qualitative transformation on account of spiritual evolution. In another case it requires the aid of some external agency. This is just like one man learning the art like sculpture with the help of an instructor while another man does the same by himself. These external means leading to Right Vision may be reading spiritual texts or hearing a preceptor or right type of company.

There are five distinctive marks of one who possesses the Right Vision noted below:

1. Spiritual calmness (Prasanna),

2. Desire for liberation (Samvega),

3. Non-attachment to the world (Nirveda),

4. Kindness (Anukampa), and

5. Belief in the fundamentals (Astikya).

Similarly, the person with Right Vision is free from the following eight types of pride:

1. Pride of family,

2. Pride of strength,

3. Pride of beauty,

4. Pride of knowledge,

5. Pride of wealth,