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The idea of Impermanence
Prof. Madhao S. Ranadive
According to Jainism, everything is impermanent' in the worldly existence. One who takes birth in any being, is necessarily destroyed, is the universal rule?. The handsome attractive body is impure and is the source of misery and severe suffering?. It becomes ugly by disease and old age*. The glorious youth is destroyed like the water dripping from the folded palms5. The Goddess of WealthLaksmi, like a faithless beloved, does not stay and stable even with meritorious powerful young monarch. She does not feel pleasure in the company of anybody. She only. stays a couple of days and goes to another's house. Wealth is seen as if in dream. All pleasures are destroyed in no time like the streak of lightening'. The sensual enjoyments are not satisfied. They only increase lust. Their result is very dangerous like the poisonous Kimpaka fruit. The living being suffers death in its mother's womb, at the time of birth, in delicate childhood, in the prime of youth or in old age as if it is an unbaked earthen poto. Thus life, youth, wealth, body and all other worldly things are fickle like the water sticking the petals of lotus.10
We find the characteristic of impermanence (Aniccāņuvekkhā or Addhuvānuvekkhā ) of Jainism is similar to the reflection of fickleness (Aniccalakkhanā ) of Buddhism.
According to Buddhism, nothing is everlasting. Everything is momentary and liable to destruction. There is birth and death, growth and decay, union and separation. The worldly pleasures are temporary like the swings. The lives are as fickle as the waves in ocean. The body is similar to the mirage. One's charm, youth, wealth and the union with dear persons are as fickle as the streak of lightening". The mighty lordly elephant, namely cruel Death, without showing pity towards those who are suffering from severe diseases, those who are overpowered by unbearable old age, those who are young delicate maids and youths, those who are small boys and girls, who are yet given to play, incessantly destroys the whole world like the forest conflagration, that burns the entire forest without any break. 12
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The idea of Impermanence
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Though a man sees everything, is impermanent, still he hankers after pleasures, wealth and power. Being lustful towards them, he commits sinful deeds. He has to suffer misery for his inauspicious Karmas. He has no escape from suffering misery for his Karmas 13. Nobody (i.e., his mother, father, son, friend etc.) shares his lot or saves him from suffering misery14.
Human life is like a boat. It is wrecked in the ocean of momentary existence. In order to reach the other safer shore, namely liberation, he has to acquire excellent virtues. For the same he has to follow the best resort, namely religion by means of which he gets released from misery15.
A man, therefore, should lead a life of righteousness to get happiness without the sting of regret. He, who yearns for riches, should receive treasures that are eternal. Truth is wealth and life of truth is happiness. Bodies fall to dust, but the truth prevails. A man must learn to distinguish between self and truth. Self is the cause of selfishness and the source of evil. Truth cleaves to no self. It is universal and leads to justice and righteousness. So he has to take refuge in the truth that is established by the omniscient Arhat or the enlightened Buddha's.
Though we see much similarity in both Aniccānuvekkhā of Jainism and Aniccalakkhanam of Buddhism, there is difference in the main idea.
According to Buddhism, everything is impermanent. Buddhism, says that the duration of the life of a living being is exceedingly brief, lasting only while a thought lasts. As soon as the thought is ceased, the living being is said to have ceased. The being of a past moment of thought has lived; but does not live, nor will it live. The being of a future moment of thought will live; but has not lived, nor does it live. The being of the present moment of thought does live; but has not lived, nor will it live".
But the Jaina theory of object is as follows:
Any object of knowledge that exists is called Artha which must be associated with substance (Dravya ), quality (Guna ) and modification (Paryāya). A substance exists in its own nature and has its own attributes and modifications. Moreover, it is united with origination (utpāda or sambhava ), destruction (Vyaya or Nāśa ) and permanence (Dhrauvya or Sthiti ), which are at one and the same time. One modification of a substance originates and other one vanishes; but the substance remains the same. In other words, the substance, it self changes from one quality to another and one form to another without loosing its existence 18.
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Prof. Madhao S. Ranadive
The modern metaphysics has proved – "Nothing new is created, nothing is destroyed, only modifications appear. Nothing comes out of nothing, nothing altogether goes out of existence; but only substances are modified.
Unlike Buddhist view of a substance, Jaina view is real. As Jainism is a dynamic realism, its doctrine is similar to the views held by the philosophers in the West, especially those belonging to the Realistic School. The Jaina conception of Dravya, Guna and Paryaya is approximately similar to Spinoza's view of substance, attributes and modes. Hegel had a conception of reality similar to the Jaina conception of Dravya. Sattā and Dravya are one and the same as Hegel maintained. Thing in itself and experience are not absolutely distinct. Dravyas refer to facts of experience and Satta refers to existence or reality. The French philosopher Bergson also recognised substance as a permanent thing existing through change. References 1. "Savvaṁ imam aniccas."
(Ed.) A. N. Upadhye 'Kuvalyamāla kahā (Udyotanasūri), Singhi Jaina Shastra Sikshapitha, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay-7, 1959, Para 352.
2. "Jaṁ kinci vi uppannam tassa viņāsa navei niyamena."
(Ed.) Dr. A. N. Upadhye, Kārttikeyānupreksā (Svami Kumar ), Verse 4, Parama Shruta Prabhavaka Mandal, Srimad Rajcandra Ashrama, Agasa, Ilnd edn., 1978.
3. Imam sariram aniccam asuis asuisambhavam. Asāsayavāsaminas Dukkha-kesāņa bhāyaṇam.
(Ed.) Sadhvi Candanā, Uttarādhyayana-sūtra, Virayatana Publication, Agra. 2, 1972, 19/12
4. Taņu layannu vannu khaội khijjai. Kālalu mayarandu va pijjai.
(Ed.) Dr. P. L. Vaidya, Mahāpurāņa (Puspadanta), Bharatiya Jnanapitha Publication ( Murtidevi, S. No. 15), New Delhi, 1979, VII-19.
5. Viyalai jovvanu nam karayalajalu. Ibid. 6. Jā sāsāda ņa lacchi cakkdharāņam pi punnavantānam.
Sā kim bandhadi raidim iyarajanānas Apunnānam. Kattha vi na ramadi lacchi kulina dhire vi pandiyesūre.
Kārttikeyānupreksā (Agasa), Verse - 10, 11.
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The Idea of Impermanence
7. Riddhio savvão siviņayasamdasaṇasamão.
Vijju va cancalaim ditthapanattha savvasokkhāiṁ.
Ed. Pt. Kailash Chandra Siddhantashastri, Bhagavati Ārādhanā (Sivārya) anityānuprekṣā, Jain Sanrakshaka Sangh, Sholapur, 1978.
8. Jaha kimpaga phalaṇam pariņāmo na sundaro. Evaṁ bhuttāṇa bhogānam pariņāmo na sundaro.
Uttaradhyayana-sūtra (Agra), XIX/18.
9. Gabbhe jamme balattane, tasanne therattaṇammi. Jivā samsāre vihadanti, Amamahina bhandaṁ va. Devendragani, Karkaṇḍacariyam.
10. Calu jiviu juvvanu dhanu sariru, jimva kamal dalalaggavilaggu niru.
Ed. Muni Jinavijaya, Kumarpāla-pratibodha (Somaprabha), Central Library, Baroda, 1920, p. 311.
For the above footnotes, please also see
(i) Kārttikeyanuprekṣā (Agas), 4. 22.
(ii) Kuvalayamālā (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Para 352.
(iii) Mahāpurāņa (Jnanapitha Publication).
(iv) Kumārapāla-pratibodha (Baroda ), pp. 311-312. 11. Telakatāna, gāthā, Aniccalakkhaṇam, Verses 29 to 43. 12. Telakaṭāha, Verse 22.
13. Kaḍāṇa kammāņa na mokkha atthi.
Uttaradhyayana-sūtra (Virayatana), 4/3.
14. "Māyā piyā ṇhusā bhāyā bhajjā puttā ya orasā.
Nālam te mama tāṇāya luppantassa sakammuṇā." Ibid, 6/3.
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15. Telakaṭāha gāthā, 30-3, 4; 32, 33-34.
16. Kārttikeyanuprekṣā (Agas), Verses 302 to 489.
17. Ed. Dharmanand Kausambi, Visuddhimagga, Part one, Buddhaghosa, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay (Bharatiya Vidya S. No.1), 1940.
18. (i) Tam pariyāṇāhi davvu tuhum jam guna-pajjaya juttu.
Saha-bhuva jāṇāhi täham guna kama-bhuva pajjau vuttu.
Ed. Dr. A. N. Upadhye, Paramātma-prakāśa (Yogindu), Shrimad Rajchandra Ashrama, Agas, 1915, I. 57.
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________________ 36 Prof. Madhao S. Ranadive (ii) Davvam sallakkhaniyam uppadavvaya dhuvatta sanjuttam. gunapajjayasayam va jam tam bhannanti savvanu. Ed. Pt. Manohar Lal, Pancastikaya (Kundakunda), Parama Shruta Prabhavaka Mandal, Srimad Rajchandra Ashram, Agasa, III, 1969, Gatha 10. (iii) "Attho Khalu davamao davvani gunappagani bhanidani," 2/93 "Apariccattasahavenuppadawaya dhuvatta sambodhanam gunavam ca sapajjayam jam tam davam ti vuccanti." 2/95 "Sabbhavo hi sahavo gunehim saha pajjayahim cittehim. dawassa sawakalam uppadawayadhuvattehim." 2/96 "Sadavatthidam sahave' dawam davassa ja hi parinamo. attessu so sahavo thidisambhavana sasambaddho." 2/99 "Na bhavo bhangavihino bhango va natthi sambhavavihino. uppada vi ya bhango na vina dhavvena atthena." 2/100 "Uppada thidibhanga vijjante pajjaesu pajjaya. pavam ni santi niyadam tamha darvam havadi savvam." 2/101 "Samavedam khalu davam sambhavalhidi nasa sanni datthehim. ekkammi ceva samaya tamha davvam khu tattidayam." 2/102 Pravacana-sara, Kundakunda, Sahajananda Shastramala, Meerut, 1979. *57, Ravivara Peth ( Gita Building) Satara ( Maharashtra ).