Aspect of Jainology Part 2 Pandita Bechardas Doshi

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

Page 427

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Kamal Ghand Sogani
seems to be aware of the fact that there may be external rightness without there being any moral worth. Kundakunda is prone to transform the individual. In consequence, he discusses the rightness of an action from the standpoint of moral inwardness. For him an action which has no moral worth is morally evil though it may be right. So far as I have been able to understand Kundakunda, he stands for the moral transformation of an individual and seems to believe that if all the individuals take care of themselves, the external situations will always be in harmony with their moral attitude He, therefore, proclaims that mental inclination (bhāva) is the cause of virtue and vice. 38 The moral worth of an action depends on virtuous mental disposition (Subha bhava) or good disposition. It is this virtuous mental disposition which, according to Kundakunda, entails merit (punya) and the disposition contrary to this entails demerit (papa).27 In the Samayasara he tells us that the mental inclination in himsa, falsehood, possession, unchastity, and stealing entails demerit, whereas the mental inclination in ahinsa, truthfulness, non-possession, chastity and non-stealing entails merit.28 In the Pancāstikāya he avers that those actions which are fraught with indolence, which come from anger, conceit, deceit, and greed, which cause injury to others, and which culminate others, fall into the gamut of evil actions. Besides, inordinate indulgence in carnal pleasures, to be subject to sensuous objects, to be occupied with anxietyridden mental states, to enjoy cruelty, fraudulence, thieving, and possesiveness, to employ knowledge in harmful activities-all these are evil inclinations.30 If some evil action because of athubha bhāva is committed, Kundakunda prescribes the performance of repentance (pratikramana), so that the consciousness of Subha bhāva is (indirectly) deepened Kundakunda considers pratikrama a to be so important that in the Niyamasāra he says that, if the performance of attentive pratikrama;a is not possible because of the exhaustion of bodily vigour, one should at least have unflinching faith in it. 31
It seems to me that, in a way, Kundakunda identifies right with the good and wrong with evil. Subha bhiva is right and good : Ashubha bhiva is wrong and evil.
These two expressions seem to be one for Kundakunda. Leslia Stephen rightly remarks, .... .... morality is internal. The moral law-has to be expressed in the form, "be this" not in the form, "do this" .... .... the true moral law says "hate not", instead of kill not" .... .... the only mode of stating the moral law must be as a rule of character'. 92 Kundakunda believes in 'to be and not merely in 'to do'. It means that being' should result in doing and doing' should be based on being. Kundakunda says that compassionate disposition should result in the act of kindness to a thirsty, hungry and distressed being with whom feels sympathetic suffering. 33 This comes to a point that Kundakunda adheres to the cultivation of morally good dispositions rather than to the doing of right actions either prudentially or impulsively or altruistically. This, in essence, seems to be the ethical philosophy of Kundakundą.