General form of the sufferings

Class Date: 02/25/2009
Chapter: 3
Page#: 70-71
Paragraph #: From 1st paragraph on page 70 through last para on page 71
Recorded version:
Summary: In this class we discussed yet another perspective of the form of all the sufferings. This discussion summed up the suffering-related prior discussions in Chapter 3.

Sufferings have association with the form of life (paryay), and also the karma-uday. For example, the narki and the tiriyanch paryay are known to have extremely high levels of sufferings compared with the manushya and dev paryay. Manushya and dev paryay however have there own sufferings due to karma-uday. For example, samurchim manushyas are still manushya but being labhdhi-aaparyaptak, they are full of sufferings. Labdhi-aaparyaptak jivas can complete up to 18 life cycles in the time a garbhaj manushya (a normal human being) finishes one breathing cycle. Similarly, Bhavanvasi devs have unstable state of mind and they derive pleasure from the fighting narkis. Thus, all four types of lives are full of sufferings. The difference is that some see these sufferings and embark on the moksh-marg to improve their future and to realize the true nature of the self; and, others can’t, or don’t see them under the influence of mohniya karma, and create an unending cycles of birth and death. Living in the material world, it is generally hard to comprehend the reason why someone would leave behind all the wealth, family, etc. to attain monkhood. The study and the contemplation about these sufferings may sometimes enlighten a few souls to make some attempts at understanding a few points of views of a few such reasons.

Pundit Ji describes the general form of these sufferings. Disturbances are the indicators of sufferings, and these disturbances are the results of desires. There are four types of desires:

a) Desire to know varieties of things through five senses and mind. For example, desire to see different places, to listen to music, to know unknown things, etc. The suffering in this case is due to unfulfilled desires; and not due to any other factors, such as, disease. Hence, this desire is named Vishay. This desire arises during the gyanavaran and darshanavaran karma-uday.
b) Desire to act under the influence of kashay-bhav. For example, to carry out activities that harms others. The suffering in this case is again due to unfulfilled desires; and not due to any other factors, such as, disease. So, the person looks normal from outside, but is very erratic from inside. Hence, this desire is named Kashay. This desire arises during the mohniya karma-uday.
c) Desire to get rid of displeasing things inside and outside the body. For example, to carry out activities to get rid of thirst, hunger, etc. The suffering in this case is due to unfulfilled desires dues to paap-karmas. Hence, this desire is named Paap-ka-uday. This desire arises during the aasata-vedniya karma-uday.
d) Several desires arise due to the above three desires. Some of these desires get fulfilled due to punya-uday. Only one fulfilled desire can be relished at a time. Hence, one impatiently tries to jump to the next fulfilled desire. For example, somebody has several things at his/her disposal. Now, that person tries seeing somebody, then tries to listen to music, then tries to harm somebody, then tries to eat food, etc. In this way this person tries to engross the self into several activities. Hence, this desire is named Punya-ka-uday. This desire arises during the sata-vedniya karma-uday.

Our situation is really pitiful because we don’t even realize that we have these desires which are the roots of all of our sufferings. The search for the unending eternal happiness cannot start without realizing these sufferings. The first type of desire can also be due to ignorance; and the second type of desire leads one on the destructive path. But, one cannot understand these things under the influence of mohniya karma. When none of our desires can be fulfilled with our efforts, then we should not hold anybody liable for the unfulfilled desires. In the early stages on moksh-marg prashasth desires are useful because they relieve the jiva from all the aaprashasth desires; and, in the later stages, even these aaprashasth desires will naturally go away.

How can we expect punya-aashrav if all we do all the time is violent and derogatory activities with mind, speech, and body? The fact that we have too many good external factors at our disposal proves that we have punya-uday. If however we do not engross in the subh or suddh activities, then it will lead to paap-aashrav, at the cost of decreasing levels of existing punyas. The punya karma-aashrav does not happen with the activities of speech and body; but with subh and suddh bhavs.

The first three types of desires are generally considered to be forms of suffering in the material world. But the fourth desire is considered to be delightful. But it actually is not delightful, because a) not all desires are fulfilled; b) while some desired are fulfilled, they cannot be relished all at once; c) thus one impatiently tries to hop around to relish several fulfilled desires. One is not at peace with the self, and thus, is suffering. Further this person tries several things to get rid of the first three types of suffering, and not all of these remedies work; and thus the sufferings do not go away. Thus, all the jivas in the material world are always full of sufferings.

The first three types of desires are result of the paap-karma, and the fourth is the result of the punya-karma. The punya-karma is the result of religious activities. But the jiva does not engross his/her self in dharma; and mostly engross in sinful activities. Thus, the fourth desire is found in some jiva for some limited time.

The jiva with the fourth desire is better placed compared to the jivas with the first three desires because of the reduction in the number of desires. For instance, the person with too many things is suffering because he/she has still too many unfulfilled desires. Conversely, the person with too few things is suffering less because he/she has very few unfulfilled desires. Similarly, if one is not disturbed with bad things then that person is at peace with the self; while the person with too many unfulfilled desires despite of owning too many things is unhappy. Thus, happiness and unhappiness is the function of desires; and not the availability of the external factors or things.

Narki are deemed unhappy, while devs are deemed happy. This is based on the desires. Narki have too many desires with intense kashays; while devs have fewer desires with low levels of kashays. This principle can be directly applied to manushya and tiriyanch. Thus, jivas with extremely intense kashays are unhappy; while, jivas with less desires and low levels of kashays are happy. In reality, this happiness is reduction in the level of sufferings. With this principle, even the devs are not really happy; they mostly have the fourth type of desire and are comparatively less unhappy.

Thus, the desires are mithyatva, agyan, and asayam. Pundit Ji reiterates that the desires are the causes of the disturbances and these disturbances are the true reasons for sufferings. Thus, all the jivas in the material world are suffering in several ways.