Jaina Philosophy and Religion

SR No.: 001604
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 500
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Epistemology
File Size: 12 MB

Page 155

Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
we need samyama to make our life happy, peaceful and blissful!'
Idleness and spiritual lethargy and weak will-power are the terrible great diseases of life. They cause man's downfall and land him on the most miserable state. Samyama is the perennial fountain of mental peace and inner happiness. It is, again, samyama that keeps man fit to experience even the bodily and material happiness. Without samyama, none can derive true pleasure from the enjoyment of the worldly objects. Study the following verse from the famous Buddhist work Dhammapada.
appamado amatapadam pamado maccuno padam/
appamatta na miyanti ye pamattā matā yathā //
127
It declares that spiritual diligence and wakefulness are the state of immortality, while spiritual lethargy and negligence are an abode of death. The spiritually diligent and wakeful man never dies (though his physical body leaves him, he is not dead, because he ever lives through his good deeds-), whereas the spiritually lethargic and negligent man, though living, is dead.
Noble ideal is one of the conditions that make man self-controlled and self-disciplined. Though he has some noble ideal, yet if he does not have any field of action where he can gain pleasure of creation,2 it will be very difficult for him to observe self-control and self-discipline. Again, if he truly understands the value and importance of virtuous conduct and adores it, he can live a self-controlled and self-disciplined life. For the practice of restraint and discipline, proper environment is also required. If the environment is not conducive to restraint and discipline, their practice becomes difficult for both the householder and the monk. In short, true regard for restraint, noble ideal, pleasure of creation, devotion to virtuous conduct and proper environment all together make possible the practice of restraint and discipline.
1. na ganga yamuna capi sarayu vă sarasvati /
ninnaga va citravati mahi capi mahānadi // sakkunamti visodhetum tam malam idha paninam /
visodhayati sattānam yam ve sila-jala malam //-Visuddhimagga (a Buddhist work) Meaning: The Ganges, Yamuna, Sarayu, Sarasvati, etc.,-all these rivers are not able to cleanse the soul and the mind of defilements polluting them. It is only righteous conduct that can cleanse them of their defilements.
2. All joy lies in creation.