Doctrines of Jainism

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

Page 33

The Doctrines of the Jainas
age, without death, without body, without karma, enjoying an endless and unbroken tranquillity because of the complete waning ouf of all causes of suffering or dukkha.
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By performing meritorious deeds (punna) on earth people obtain pleasures and comforts. By giving a seat and a bed (sayanapunya) one gets a very high position; by bestowing food (annapunya) one secures health and wealth; by the gift of clothes (vastrapunya) one acquires good complexion and property; the gift of conveyance procures for the giver special happiness and that of light begets power of vision. Besides there are other kinds of punya: panapunya (merit acquired by giving water to the thirsty), layanapunya (merit acquired by building or lending a house to a monk), manapunya (merit acquired by thinking good of everybody), kayapunya (merit acquired by saving a life or rendering service), vacanapunya (merit acquired by speech) and namaskarapunya (merit acquired by reverent salutation).
Papa (demerit) and punna (merit) are equally reprehensible for the aspirant after the highest stage of saintship and nirvana. When the fruits of a good deed are consumed, the man has again to come down to this earth to the buffetted by the waves of papa and punya.
We may note here that in Buddhism or in Jainism or Brahmanical system and in fact in every Indian religious system, there is no conception of eternal neverending suffering in hell like the Christian or rather the Hebrew eschatological conception of Gehenna, the abode of the wicked, where they suffer endless torments by fire. Some of the Christian fathers hold that ultimately there would be an end to the punishment of the most wicked; For Private & Personal Use Only