Abandonment of Passions in Jainism

Author(s): B K Sahay
Publisher: Z_Deshbhushanji_Maharaj_Abhinandan_Granth_012045.pdf
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/250001/1

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Abandonment of Passions in Jainsm Dr. B. K. Sahay Jainism is primarily an ethical system. It is mainly concerned with the ethical problem of removal of misery and suffering. The problem of suffering is bound up with passions, for, the very concept of suffering is taken as spiritual unrest of the transcendental nature arising out of the ego-asserting nature of man. Hence the problem of getting rid of miseries implies the abandonment of passions. Krodha (anger), Mana (egoism). Maya (hypocrisy), Lobha (greed) are considered to be the basic passions (Kasaya). These are the main forces that held the soul to bondage. The Yoga (activities) moved by Kasiya (passions) attracts the Karmic particles which invade the soul and settle down on it. Thus the Yoga backed by Kasaya is the cause of Asrava (inflow of karmic particles) and this Asrava is the cause of bondage. Really, Yoga is the external condition of bondage, and Kasaya the internal condition of bondage. Hence Yoga tinged with passions can only force the inflow of karmic particles (Asrava). Without eschewing passion completely, attainment of liberation, the supreme goal of life, cannot be accomplished. The ideal of passionlessness is as much recognised by Jainism as by its sister religions Brahmanism and Buddhism. But all approach the problem of getting rid of passions differently and give their own treatment to it. Buddhism takes this problem purely on ethical plane. Hence it teaches nothing but a mental and moral discipline designed to abondon the egoity, the root cause of passions. It considers the very idea of soul to be the strongest and subtlest form of egoistic clinging. It, therefore, propounds the doctrine of "No. self" which renounces not only phenomenal self altogether but also makes no concession for the transcendental Self. Its opproach is absolutely negative without making any room for the positive treatment of it. Hinduism takes a positive stand in this regard and considers the individual soul ultimately to be an illusion which must be purged from the Higher Self. Thus it insists on the unity of all individual souls in One Supreme Reality which is called theistically God and absolutistically Brahman. It propounds transcendental oneness to do away with egoity and passions. Jainism avoids both negative and positive philosophical extremes in this regard which give rise to the nihilism in Buddhism and the eternalism in Hinduism. Jainism takes into account negative and positive both and asserts that they are the two sides of the same reality. Negation and position are obtained simultaneously in the real. This truth is Anekantic (non-absolutist) in its essence. Against the background of Anekantic philosophy, it propounds that on getting uplifted to the transcendental state the soul servives in its full glory denuded of passions. Thus, in affirming what is, it denies what is not. Like the Buddhism it does not favour annihilation of the self but only extinction of personal identity and personal life. Again, like jaina dharma evaM AcAra

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the Hinduism it does not prefer the dissolution, of the self into the infinity of Brahman or God, but recommends its upliftment to the most perfect and fully developed state where all the negative ideas of anger, egotism, hypocrisy and greed are completely set aside. Thus according to Jainism passions can be overcome neither by renouncing it altogether nor by unifying it with Absolute or God but by raising and elevating the individual soul to the transcendental state. Jainism avoids the non-entity of the soul on the one hand and unity of the souls on the other hand and accepts the equality of the souls. The eradication of passions is, therefore founded on the principle of equalization and elevation which gives the lofty idea of the peaceful coexistence of liberated souls and reminds us of the Kingdom of ends of Kant. - -- sAmAyika bhAvanA mamati paDivajjAmi nnimmmttimuvttttido| AlaMtraNaM ca me AdA avasesAI vosare // ego me sassado appA NANa-dasaNa-lakkhaNo / sesA me bAhirA bhAvA savve saMjoga-lakkhaNA // jiMdAmi NidaNijjaM garahAmi ya jaM ca me garahaNIyaM / Alocemi ya savvaM sanbhaMtara-bAhiraM uvahiM // rAgeNa va doseNa va jaM me akadaM huyaM pamAdeNa / jo me kici vi bhaNio tamahaM savvaM khamAvemi // saMsAracakka-vAlammi mae savve vi poggalA bhuso| AhAriyA ya pariNAmidA ya Na ya me gayA tittI / / tiNa-kaTreNa va amgI lavaNa-samuddo gadI-sahassehiM / Na imo jIvo sakko tippedaM kAma-bhogehi // NANaM saraNaM majhaM daMsaNa-saraNaM ca cariya-saraNaM ca / tava saMjamaM ca saraNaM bhagavaM saraNaM mahAvIro // jA gadI arihaMtANaM NidvidadvANa jA gdii| jA gadI vIda-mohANaM sA me bhavad sassadA // jaM ca kAma-suhaM loe jaM ca divvaM mahAsuhaM / vIyarAya-suhassedaM Nata-bhAga Na agghade // ___ maiM nirmamatva hokara mamatva bhAva kA tyAga karatA haiM / aba AtmA hI merA ekamAtra Alambana hai| zeSa samasta apanatva ke bhAvoM kA parityAga karatA huuN| jJAna aura darzana guNoM se yukta yaha merA eka AtmA hI to zAzvata hai, anAdi-nidhana hai| zeSa samasta bhAva to bAharI haiM jinakA sadaiva saMyoga-viyoga hotA rahatA hai / maiM nindanIyako nindA aura garhaNIyakI garhaNA karatA huuN| maiM apanI samasta bAhya aura Abhyantara upAdhiyoM kI AlocanA karatA huuN| - rAga ke athavA dveSa ke vazIbhUta hokara jo kucha jAnabUjha kara na karane para bhI pramAda se bana par3A ho athavA anucita vacana mukha se nikala gayA ho usa sabakI maiM kSamA cAhatA huuN| isa saMsArarUpI cakravAla meM jitane padArtha haiM unakA maiMne bahuta bAra saMgraha kiyA aura upabhoga kiyA to bhI unase 1 merI tRpti nahIM huii| jisa prakAra taNa aura kASTha se agni ko tathA sahastroM nadiyoM se samudra ko tRpta nahIM kiyA jA sakatA isI prakAra kAma-bhogoM se isa jIva kI tRpti nahIM kI jA sktii| __ mere liye jJAna hI zaraNa hai, darzana zaraNa hai aura cAritra zaraNa hai / tapa aura saMyama bhI zaraNa hai tathA bhagavAn mahAvIra zaraNa haiN| ____ jo gati arahanta bhagavantoM kI, jo gati kRta-kRtya siddhoM kI tathA jo gati moha-vijayI vItarAgoM ko prApta huI vahI zAzvata mokSa kI gati mujhe bhI mile| loka meM jo kucha kAma aura sukha hai tathA svargAdi divya lokoM meM jo mahAsukha hai vaha saba milAkara vItarAgako prApta hone vAle nirvANa-sukha ke anantaveM bhAgake barAbara bhI nahIM hotaa| -DaoN0 hIrAlAla jaina dvArA saMkalita evaM sampAdita 'jinavANI' se sAbhAra AcAryaratna zrI dezabhUSaNa jI mahArAja abhinandana anya