Aspect of Jainology Part 2 Pandita Bechardas Doshi

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 425

Kamal Chand Sogani
whole of knowledge and virtue, 15 observance of five great vows, 16 virtues like contentment, forgiveness18, modesty1", moral emotions like fearlessness, and universal love, and propagation of values-all these are intrinsically desirable. It should be borne in mind that it is the experience of these intrinsic values that is good in itself. Kundakunda states that good experience (fubha bhava) is intrinsi cally valuable.28 Kundakunda speaks of fubha bhava to represent all that is intrinsically valuable 24. It is a complex mental state comprising cognitive, conative and affective elements. The Samayasara regards bhāva, pariņāma, adhyavasaya, citta etc. as synonyms.25
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We have dwelt upon the things that are intrinsically worthy. But the basic question that remains to be discussed is the definition of good or fubha. Kundakunda enumerates things that are subha. Perhaps he does not face the question 'What is good or subha? It is surprising that he does not give us any criterion of intrinsic goodness. Simple enumeration cannot lead us anywhere. I shall try to give the definition of good which, I believe, shall be in congruence with the utterances of Kundakunda. Thus we may say, subha is an experience in tune with ahisa. Since there are degrees of ahimsa, so there are degrees of fubha or good. The ingredients of this experience which is complex but unified are emotions, and knowledge issuing as a result of an end-seeking action. Satisfaction on the fulfilment of ends is the accompaniment of experience The implication of the definition of fubha or good is that goodness does not belong to things in complete isolation from feeling; a thing is good, because it gives rise to an experience in tune with. ahimsa.
I wish to discuss this question a little further. The question as to what is fubha in the realm of ethics is like the question 'What is dravya' in the realm of metaphysics. The definition of dravya given by the Jaina acaryas is: Dravya is that which is sat (being). Here 'being' is used in a comprehensive, and not particular, sense. However, no particular can be apart from being. We may logically say that being is the highest genus whereas the particulars are its species and the relation between the two is 'identity-in-difference'. Similarly, when I say that fubha is an experience in tune with ahimsa, I am using the term 'ahisa' in the comprehensive sense and not in a particular sense. No particular subha can be separated from ahimsa and ahimsā manifests itself in all particular fubhas. In a logical sense, it can be said that ahimsa is the highest genus and particular ahimsas are its species, and the relation between ahimsa and ahimsas is a relation of identity-in-difference. For example, in non-killing and non-exploitation, though the identical element of ahimsa is present, yet the two are different So the above is the most general definition of fubha just like the definition of dravja. It may be noted here that we can understand 'being' only through the particulars since general being is unin telligible owing to its being abstract, though we can think of it factually, i. e. value neutrally. Similarly, the understanding of general ahimsa shall come only through