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
however, need not enter into the discussion of the nature of God. Some of the Jairia moral virtues, e.g., celebacy can also be compared with the yama of Yoga, since the Jaina view of moral virtue is both negative and positive. The Buddhists also regard some of these moral virtues as necessary for self-control and meditation. It should be noted that Buddhism repudiates various processes of bodily mortification (austerity).' Now, we come to contemplation.
CONTEMPLATION
Contemplation means repeated thinking of a particular idea or object. It does not correspond to any of the eight requisites recognized by the Yoga system in its exactness. We, however, can compare it with dhāraņā and dhyāna roughly. The Jaina thinkers hold that a well-disciplined person should contemplate the following twelvefold objects. We simply quote them without taking into account any justification thereof. Some of these objects correspond to the metaphysical speculations of the Jainas. These are the twelvefold objects of contemplation: the fleeting nature of things, the helplessness of a particular individual, the miserable nature of the world, the loneliness of the worldly sojourn, the distinctness of the self from the body, the impure character of the body, the conditions and consequences of the inflow of karmic matter, the means for the stoppage of karmic inflow, the conditions of the dissociation of karmic matter from the soul, the nature of the constituents of the universe, the difficulty of the attainment of enlightenment, and the true nature of reality.2
The fourth condition of the control of activities is conquest of afflictions, i.e., patient endurance of troubles. We, now, proceed to the nature and conquest of various troubles. The patient endurance of these troubles is helpful for the dissociation of karmic matter as well.
CONQUEST OF AFFLICTION
There are twenty-two troubles to be learnt and conquered by a person of self-control. The Uttarādhyayana-sūtra presents a
1 Buddhism, p. 240 2 Anityāśaranasamsāra......
Tattvārtha-sūtra, IX, 7.