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The Metaphisics and Ethics of the Jainas.
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but also consumes the accumulated karma. Tapas, therefore, produces also nirjara and leads to Nirvana; it is the chief means of salvation, as might be expected in a religion of ascetics. The denotation of the word 'tapas' in Jainism is somewhat different from its usual meaning. There is tapas of the body (bahya tapas) and tapas of the mind (abhyantara tapas). The former consists in fasting, or eating scanty and tasteless food, in want of comfort and in mortification of the flesh. The mental tapas contains various items, as confession of sins and penance, monastic duties, obedience, modesty, self-restraint and meditation (dhyana ). I wish to lay stress on the fact that in the course of asceticism taught by the Jainas meditution is only one of many steps leading to the ultimate goal. Though Nirvana is immediately preceded by the two purest stages of meditation, yet all other parts of tapas appear of equal importance. We shall see the significance of this fact more clearly, when we compare the Jaina tapas with what corresponds to it in Sankhya-Yoga. Their Yoga contains some of the varieties of Jaina tapas; but they are regarded as inferior to meditation or contemplation. Indeed the whole. Yoga centres in contemplation ; all other ascetic practices are subordinate and subservient to contem. plation-dharana, dhyana and samadhi. This is but natural in a system which makes the reaching of the summum bonum de pendent on jnana, knowledge. The theory of the evolution of Prakrti, beginning with Buddbi, :A hamkara, and Manas, appears, to my mind, to have been invented in order to ex. plain the efficiency of contemplation for acquiring super. natural powers and for liberating the soul. The SankhyaYoga is a philosophical system of ascetics ; but their ascetic. ism has been much refined and has become spiritualized in a high degree. The asceticism of the Jains is of a more original character; it chiefly aims at the purging of the soul from the impurities of karman. Jainism may have refined the asceticism then current in India ; it certainly rejected many extravagances, such as the voluntary inflicting of pains ; but it did not alter its cliaracter as a whole. It perpetuated
| SR No. | 536512 |
| Book Title | Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald 1916 Book 12 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Mohanlal Dalichand Desai |
| Publisher | Jain Shwetambar Conference |
| Publication Year | 1916 |
| Total Pages | 264 |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald, & India |
| File Size | 20 MB |