Book Title: Doctrine of Jainas
Author(s): Walther Shubring, Wolfgang Beurlen
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

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Page 305
________________ R EN UŇCIATION 289 death, whereas the semi-wise death (bāla-p.) comes to the layman who is "befallen by him unexpectedly and suddenly, without ány preceding fasting, but after having confessed and on a death-bed recognized as such.". In the description (Viy. 118a; Thān. 93b; Nis. 11, 92) the execution mixes with the motives among which we find the desire for post-existence (with the niyāna- or tabbhava-marana) or, provided we do not misinterprct them, weariness and incapability (with the odlayaand vas'atta-m.). In all cases we are, of course, concerned with voluntary dying. It is unconditionally disapproved of by Mahāvira when executed in the form of putting an end to one's life by drowning, burning, poisoning oneself, by using a weapon or by hurling oneself down a precipice, whereas in certain cases he is not blamed (käranena appadikuţtha) who hangs himself or allows himself to be lacerated by vultures, i.e. who dies the vehānasa- or giddha-pattha2 -marana. There is reason to assume that such a tolerant attitude is explicable only by the idea that the latter kind of suicide does not injure earth, water, and firebeings by his fall. Over against this the suicide of the sage (pandıya-m.) is the result of a fasting which as a lifelong fasting (āvakahıya) pertains to the system ($ 178). There are two different kinds bhatta-paccakkhāna3 and pāõvagamana with subdivisions for either kind. The renunciation of food expressed by the first word equally applies to the second, and the aim expressed by the second equally applies to the first. The difference consists in maintaining a posture without moving, and that is why, at least among the Svetāmbaras, there has been since long the tendency of a wrong" derivation from pādapa. This tendency may have been encouraged by the role which the tree is known to play in Indian religion in general and in both the Buddhist and Jain teaching (§ 18) in particular. Occasionally (Samav, 33a, Utt 5, 32, and others) a third category is placed between the two mentioned above, the engini-marana, which V KAMPTZ, loc. at p 15. 2 Preferably=grdhra-sprşfá in the sense of g -bhukla (loc cit p 16). & Vay 650 a appears to refer to a recidivous bhaila-paccakkhāyaga, 4. LEUMANN, Aup.

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