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

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JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
as well as the shortest route to attain the gain is to deceive the person concerned. Thus, 'deceit is nothing but the act of deceiving others'. This act certainly influences our mode of behaviour. We tell a lie to deceive others. Not all deceit, however, is lying, for, although the essence of lying is intent to deceive, there must be also, to constitute a lie, either untrue words or such reticence as in the context of speech or action amounts to false statement, as for instance, if I say, 'He gave me twenty rupees' when in fact he gave me fifty, or if I adopt and publish as my own essay largely or wholly written by another man. To quote Kant, to lie is 'to communicate one's thoughts to another through words which intentionally contain the opposite of that which the speaker thinks'.? The Jaina maintains that it is the intention to deceive others which is the root-cause of lying 3 Kant also gives the same place to intention. This intention adopts different forms in behaviour. The deluding karma which gives rise to the intention to deceive others is not concerned with the different forms of behaviour of deceitful person, therefore, we shall not deal with them. The rise of deceit hinders proper conduct. It is also of four degrees as regards its intensity. They are to be compared to a bamboo-root, a ram-horn, a line of cow's urine, and a carpenter's scratch. The crookedness of the succeeding ones removed more easily than that of the preceding ones. Now, let us turn to the last passion, viz., greed. . GREED
Greed has been defined by the Jaina thinkers as the state of attachment produced by discontentment. All of us possess certain desires and ambitions. The nature of a desire is such that it is not very easily satisfied. To attain complete satisfaction is most difficult. Until and unless we are completely satisfied, our interest towards the object of our desire goes on increasing. Consequently, we are so much attached to that end that all our activities are directed towards the attainment of the goal. This type of attach
1 Māvā paravañcanădyātmikā
Karma-grantha, I, p. 34, 2 Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, Vol. VIII, p. 221. 3 Asūnytasya janani......
Yoga-sāstra, IV, 15. 4 Jiva-kānda, 286; Karma-grantha, 1, 20. 5 Lobho santoşātmako gyddhipariņāmaḥ.
Karma-grantha, I, p. 34.