1. Purusharth, Awareness and Illusion.

 *Purusharth, Awareness and the Illusion of “I”*

Purusharth (Effort) is necessary in life. Without effort nothing moves forward. But becoming attached to one’s own effort is where illusion begins.

There needs to be a constant awareness within that I am not the centre of everything that is happening. What is happening in the world is a flow of many causes coming together. My role is mainly to remain aware and watch carefully.

When an action happens, when I try to solve a problem, when I respond to a situation, the tendency of the mind is to say:

“I did this.”

“I solved this.”

“This happened because of me.”

This sense of “I am the doer” slowly grows into ego, expectation and attachment.

Instead, the approach should be different.

Effort may happen through me, but my role is to observe that effort with awareness. I must watch how the mind reacts, how the senses behave, how responses arise, and how actions unfold.

The involvement of “I” should remain limited only to being aware; the watcher, the observer, the witness of the entire process.

Effort happens because I exist, but my effort alone is not the sole cause of results.

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*_The Problem of Desire and Expectation_*

Once effort begins, desire quietly follows.

I start thinking:

I have worked hard

I deserve a particular outcome

The results should come as I expect

From there another chain begins; expectations from people, situations and outcomes.

However, this expectation itself is built on a flawed assumption that my effort alone determines the result.

Reality does not work that way.

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*_Three Facts Worth Remembering_*

1. Everyone is acting from their own expectations. Every person in this world is acting based on their own desires, fears, expectations and karmic tendencies. People are not here primarily to fulfil my expectations. Sometimes their expectations may align with mine. Many times they will not.

2. Situations will not always support my effort. Even if I make sincere effort, circumstances may not cooperate. Conditions in the world are constantly changing. Effort alone does not guarantee favourable situations.

3. Jain philosophy explains five causes behind every event. Jainism explains that every outcome arises from a combination of five Samavāya Kāraṇ (co-operating causes). More in detail below 👇 

These five are: 

Time

કાળ

Intrinsic nature of a thing

સ્વભાવ

Universal order / inevitability

નિયતિ

That which is destined to occur

ભવિતવ્યતા

Individual effort

પુરુષાર્થ

When an event happens, all five causes operate together. Effort is only one among them.

*_The Illusion Around Effort_*

Even if I give 100% effort, effort is still only one factor out of five.

In a simplified way, I may think of it as roughly 20% influence, while the other four causes also need to align.

Yet the human mind behaves differently.

When something succeeds, I immediately say:

I did it.

It happened because of my effort.

I was confident it would happen.

This confidence easily turns into ego and illusion.

In reality, such certainty is logically weak because the outcome was dependent on multiple causes, not just my effort.

*_Returning to the Original Point_*

This brings me back to the starting thought.

Effort must certainly be made. Avoiding effort is not the path.

What is essential, nonetheless, is awareness while making the effort.

I should keep reminding myself:

I am doing the purusharth that is in my control.

The result will depend on the alignment of the five causes.

Therefore attachment to the outcome is irrational.

My responsibility is only to make sincere effort and remain aware of the entire process.

*_The Deeper Spiritual Context_*

From a Jainism perspective, the ultimate goal is liberation of the soul.

In this journey, both puṇya (merit) and paap (demerit) bind the soul through karma. One may feel pleasant and the other unpleasant, but both still keep the soul within the cycle of bondage.

Therefore what becomes important is continuous alertness and awareness.

I must watch:

"my" actions

"my" reactions

"my" desires

"my" ego

"my" expectations

"my" virtues and my vices

_("my" is not "I", it is what I have perceived as "my")_

Everything must be observed with clarity.

This awareness slowly weakens attachment to “I” and “mine” in worldly matters.

That "awareness", that continuous inner "alertness", is at the heart of what Jain philosophy teaches.

In the end, the path becomes simple in principle:

Doing the purusharth that is in "my" hands.

Remaining aware while doing it.

Not becoming attached to the action or the result...

...because liberation will come not from controlling the world, but from seeing clearly what is happening within.

🙏