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Comment
Penance and omniscience highlighted here are perfectly in harmony with the Jaina view. The mode of discussion is, however, petty sectarian.
6. Asibandhaka -putra Grāmaņi
Once when Buddha was at Nālandā, Asibandhakaputra Grāmani came to him. Buddha said,
"Grāmaņi ! What advise does your master, Nigantha Nātaputta, tender to his followers these days "?
- "Bhante ! He tells them that he who causes injury to
others, tells a lie, commits theft, and acquir es things not bestowed goes to hell; and the deeper down, the more intense his crime".
"But I think, according to your master, nobody ever goes to hell".
"Bhanta ! How is it so"?
Upon this, Buddha asked if in the course of a whole day, a man spent more time in causing injury, or in not causing injury, in committing theft or in non-theft, etc., to which Grāmani's answer was that one spent more time in not causing injury, etc., than in causing them. Buddha said,
"Grāmani ! Thus your master deviates from reality. The approach, I say, should be like this: a Srāvaka should ask himself if he had committed any crime. If he had, he must feel that it was wrong on his part. Then he must repent and decide not to indulge in it again. In doing all this, he saves himself from a lapse, you understand; and this applies to all the five laps e mentioned by your master. Such one acquires a right outlook. Such one free from all blemishes and weaknesses lives andi moves in all directions. Kar ma putting him into a state of mis ery can stand no longer near him".
