Mithyatva (mithyātva) means false belief or mistaken knowledge. In Jainism it refers to wrong views about the soul, karma, the universe, or the path to liberation.

Why not follow mithyatva?

• It binds you to wrong conduct and wrong perceptions, which increases karmic bondage.
• It obscures samyak darshan (right belief) and samyak jnana (right knowledge), blocking the path to liberation.
• It can lead one away from the triple gem of Jainism: samyak darshan, samyak jnana, and samyak charitra (correct belief, knowledge, and conduct).

What to cultivate instead

• Samyak darshan (right belief): seeing the world and the self as Jain philosophy teaches.
• Samyak jnana (right knowledge): understanding karma, Jain cosmology, and the nature of liberation as taught by the Tirthankaras.
• Samyak charitra (right conduct): following ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
• Regular practice of Jain vows, contemplation on karma, and guidance from a true Jain teacher to root out mithyatva.

Note on Digambar/Shvetambar: both traditions reject mithyatva as false knowledge and uphold the same core aim—clear, right belief leading to right conduct. Minor doctrinal nuances may differ in other topics, but the emphasis on avoiding mithyatva is shared.

If you’d like, I can share a concise samyaktva (correct beliefs) summary from Jain scriptures or point to a JainKnowledge.com page for further reading.