Harmless Soul

SR No.: 001196
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: W J Johnson, Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1995
Total Pages: 372
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Principle
File Size: 20 MB

Page 182

168
Harmless Souls
goes in tandem with a doctrine such as Kundakunda's (in the Samayasara and parts of the Pravacanasāra), which points towards the unreality of all except the pure soul. The śramana's internal state has thus become its own universe, hermetic, and for all practical purposes, idealist. He no longer struggles with the world of matter, but with himself, alone. At least, from the point of view of personal soteriology, this is probably the position in which Kundakunda and his followers would like to find themselves. However, since purity of attitude is impossible to demonstrate except through purity of action, in a social situation ascetic behaviour is the only indication of a holy life: monks and nuns remain exemplars in their behaviour. Such behaviour, therefore, is a means of mutually maintained social regulation: the ascetics do what the laity expect them to do, while in return, the laity remain faithful and support them while maintaining their own lower-grade but related practice.
ii) Himsă, moha, and upadhi
In Jayasena's recension of the Prayacanasāra, gāthā 3:17 is followed by two extra gāthās not contained in Amṛtacandra's version (3:17b and 3:17c). The fact that these two (as well as 3:17) are quoted (with minor linguistic differences) in the same part of the Sarvarthasiddhi (on Tattvärtha Sūtra 7:13) lends weight to Upadhye's suggestion that we are dealing here with verses that form a group in some other source. .91 The gāthās read:
When the foot of an ascetic who observes the irya-samiti (i.e. who is careful in his walking according to the rule) has been raised for going out, should a minute creature (kulimgam),92 coming in contact with that, be hurt or killed, it is taught in the scripture that he is not liable even for the slightest bondage as a consequence of that; (the case is similar to the statement:) it is infatuation alone
91
See note 78, above.
92 Kulimgam is glossed by Jayasena as sūkṣma-jantuḥ.