________________
THE MESSAGE OF JAINISM
27
men and gods; and the crown of glory its mellow fruit : enchanting indeed is this ascetic life.” Or in other words :
न चेन्द्रस्य सुखं किंचिन्न सुखं चक्रवर्तिनः ।
सुखमस्ति विरक्तस्य मुनेरेकान्तनीविनः ॥
“The happiness of the king of gods, the happiness of the emperor of the world, is nothing compared to the happiness of the monk who lives detached in the benign solitude of his soul.”
VIII
All such considerations lead to the second great doctrine of Jainism, Samyama, or Continence, practised by the continuous control of one's aggressive desires and by giving up one's regard for physical happiness.
The Jaina concept of Continence allows the individual to embrace whatever degree of renunciation he deems
appropriate to his personal conviction and The Doctrine of capacity. In the same way as Ahimsa, or
Samyama or Non-violence, Samyama, or Continence Continence can be practised through various kinds of
Pratyākhyānas or the sacred religious vows. And since Non-violence itself is impracticable without the exercise of Self-Continence, and Continence, on the other hand, necessarily conduces to Non-violence, the sacred vows concerning the former practically fall together with those concerning the latter principle. Thus the summit of the vows concerning Non-violence, reached
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
