Doctrines of Jainism

Author(s): Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi Godiji Jain Derasar Mumbai

Page 18

The Doctrines of the Jainas
the greatest happiness (paramam sukham). With the vision of nirvana, the sinful nature vanishes for ever (attham gocchanti asava). With the Jainas parinirvana is the last fruit or final consummation of the highest perfection attained by man or attainable in human life.1 But with them parinirvana is the same term as nirvana,2 or moksa meaning final liberation that comes to pass on the complete waning out or exhaustion, of the accumulated strength or force of karma. The liberation is not anything unreal but the best thing. It can be realised by a man in the highest condition of aloofness and transcendentality of himself.3 Moksa is the essential point in the teaching of Mahavira which is generally understood as emancipation. It really means the attainment of the highest state of sanctification by the avoidance of pains and miseries of worldly life. Even at this stage the soul appears to be the same without the least change in its condition. It is the state of perfect beatitude as attained. It may also mean final deliverance or liberation from the fetters of worldly life and total annihilation or extinction of human passion.4
In Jainism, however, nirvana or moksa is not a dreadful or terrible term like the Buddhist parinirvana which suggests at once an idea of the complete annihilation of the individuality of a saint after death by the simile of the total extinction of a burning lamp on the exhaustion
Kalpasutra, Jacobi's Ed., 120--Tassanam .. anuttarenam nanenam .. damsanenam .. carittenam .. aloenam .. viharenam .. virienam .. ajjovenam .. maddavenam .. laghavenam .. khamtie .. muttie .. guttie .. tutthie .. buddhie .. sacca -- samyama - tavasucariya - sovaciya - phala - parinirvana..
Ibid., p. 187-tammi samae Mahaviro niuvuo. 3. Sutrakrtanga, 1, 10.12. 4. Uttaradhyana Sutra, XXVIII, 30.