Jaina Psychology

SR No.: 006570
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1955
Total Pages: 238
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 132

SENSE-FEELING AND EMOTION
115
Thus, liking and disliking are the chief factors in determining the nature of feeling. The omniscient who is free from all liking (rati), disliking (arati), etc.,' cannot have any pleasure or any pain. Moreover, the mind is the chief medium through which pleasure and pain are experienced. The omniscient who is not in need of any service of the mind-the quasi-sense-cannot feel any pleasure or pain. The omniscient who is in possession of infinite bliss owing to the total destruction of the deluding (mohanīya)-karma, can by no means experience any worldly pleasure or pain. CAUSE OF FEELING
Are there any definite objects or conditions that necessarily produce pleasure? Similarly, are there any fixed things that always generate pain? The Jaina thinkers hold that the feeling of pleasure as well as pain is conditioned and not caused by external objects. No definite thing or condition can be prescribed as the essential cause of the emergence of pleasure and pain. It is the rise of the feeling-producing karma that is mainly responsible for the emergence of the feeling of pleasure and pain. It is the rise of the pleasureproducing (sātā-vedaniya) karma that causes a feeling of pleasure. On the other hand, the rise of the pain-producing (asātā-vedaniya) karma gives rise to the feeling of pain. The external objects serve as the helping cause in reaping the fruit of the feeling-producing karma. They are the media through which and which alone we suffer or enjoy. In the absence of the rise of the corresponding karma, an external object alone is not considered to be competent enough to give rise to the feeling of pleasure or pain. As has been observed: The 'pleasure-producing karma causes the feeling of pleasantness, such as is produced by licking honey. The pain-producing karma causes the feeling of unpleasantness, such as is produced if one is hurt by a sword'In this illustration 'honey' and 'sword' are to be taken as external factors in producing pleasure and pain. The essential cause that produces pleasure or pain is the karma corresponding to it. The object that is generally understood to be the cause of a feeling is not the essential cause but only a helping cause. If it is not admitted a thing which is pleasurable in my case would also
1 Mohakşayāt......
Tattvārtha-sūtra, X, I. 2 Karma-vipāka, 29.