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Dr. Bimala Churn Law
of the present paper. We are concerned here to touch only a few salient features of his noble teachings treasured in the Jaina Sūtras. The teachings of Mahāvira and Buddha are mainly the same. Mahăvira gave some instructions to the lay people and monks, which we have noted here as far as can be gathered from the Jaina Sūtras.
Mahavira points out that four precepts and self-privation are the recognised roads to the blissful state of the soul. Every act of killing is a cause of demerit whether the act be intentional or not. The Jains took exception to the Buddhist view regarding this point (vide Sūtrakrtanga, Jaina Sūtra, II, 414-417 ). The soul and the world are both eternal giving birth to nothing new. This is how Mahăvira points out the ontological significance of eternalism. According to him the real object of experience as a whole can never be cognised and described by appropriate symbols. According to Mahavira, one should abstain from killing beings, theft, falsehood, sensual pleasures, spirituous liquor and those who do not renounce these, go to hell. A person will suffer the consequences of whatever may preponderate as between an act and forbearance from it. That is to say, if the period during which a man abstains from cruelty and homicide is of longer duration than the period during which he kills animals, he will not go to hell.1
ording to him the soul which has no form is conscious (Cf. Sumaņgalavilásini 119).
Mahāvira further points out that a person should always be meek and should not be talkative in the presence of the wise. He should acquire valuable knowledge. A wiseman should not be angry when reprimanded. He should not associate with mean men. A sage should wander about free from sins. Company of women should be discarded. Self should be subdued. Teacher should be politely approached. An intelligent pupil should rise from his seat and answer the teacher's call modestly and attentively. The pious obtain purity and the pure stand firmly in the law. Delusion, pride, deceit and greed should be avoided. Monks or householders who are trained in selfcontrol and penance and who have obtained liberation by the absence of passion go to the highest region. Those who are ignorant of the
1 Cf. Samyutta Nikaya, IV, 317. (A Buddhist work)
Shatabdi Granth ]
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