Ahimsa and Jainism

Author(s): Vijayvallabhsuri
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

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between Brahmanism on the One hand and Buddhism on the other. It cherishes a theory of soul as an active principle in contradistinction to the Vedanta or Samkhya doctrine of soul as a passive principle Buddhism repudiates it. The Jain notion of Karma is rather physical while the Buddhist idea of the same is psycho-ethical. In Jainism rebirth takes place by way of transmigration of soul. Buddhism rejects the theory transmigration. In Jainism as in Euddhism the bodily functions cease in the process of yoga after the vocal, and the mental after the physical. The different kinds of knowledge attained through yoga are substantially the same in both the religions. Like the Samkhya doctrine Jainism stands for a dualistic conception of soul and matter and in this respect it differs from the Vedantic pantheism. The Jain dualism may be interpreted as a pluralistic doctrine like the realism of Vaisesika system by which it was influenced. Jainism maintains a hylozoistic notion of nature in which all compound things are different forms of life in varying stages of evolution. The Jain mode of life is ascetic or stoic. The path to happiness and progress lies through self-denial, self-abnega. tion, and self-mortification. All the rules of conduct and religious practices are therefore designed to that very end.