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 167

150
JAINA PSYCHOLOGY
checked is called samvara. Thus, sarii vara is the cessation or stoppage of the activities of body, speech, and mind and hence, it can be taken as the exact equivalent of the Pātañjala term yoga. It is to be noted that the later Jaina writers have used the term yoga in the Patañjala sense as well. For instance, Haribhadra defines the term yoga as the means of emancipation.” This emancipation is nothing but the perfection conceived by Patañjali. There may be some difference between the two if considered in detail but fundamentally they are the same. We are, however, mainly concerned with the control of activities which constitutes the path to dissociation and cessation of karmic matter. And this is the essence of emancipation and perfection. There are certain conditions necessary for the successful control, regulation, and lastly complete stoppage of thought, speech, and physical movements that allow karmic particles to enter into the soul. In other words, the Jaina thinkers prescribe certain definite means to control, stop, and remove the inflow of karma that is due to the activities of the individual. CONDITIONS OF THE CONTROL
Patañjali's eight-fold path of yoga is well-known to us. He advocates the control of the body, sense organs, and mind. He does not allow to kill the body, on the contrary, it is recommended by him to make it pure and perfect. He prescribes the eight-fold path of discipline necessary for the attainment of perfection. For our present study, it is desirable to describe its nature in brief.
The first of the eight chief requisites is yama. It is nothing but abstention from five evil acts, viz., abstention from enjury through thought, word, or deed, abstention from falsehood, abstention from stealing, abstention from passions and lust, and abstention from avarice. These are negative in nature. The second requisite called niyama includes five positive rules. They are external and internal purification, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion to God. The third one is āsana, i.e., posture. A steady and comfortable
1 Asravaniradhaḥ saviyarah.
Tattvārtha-sútra, IX, 1. 2 Mukkhena joyaņāo jogo......
Yoga-vimśikā, 1. 3 Yoga-sūtra, II, 29. 4 Ibid., II, 30. 5 Ibid., II, 32