Epitome of Jainism

Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 38

of the Right Conduct open with Chapter XXVII From Metaphysics to Ethics.' No system of Indian thought and culture has such a stage-by-stage exposition in a systematic way of the ways and means to the attainment of that Goal which we all have in view. The very arrangement, it will appear on a careful perusual, is not only most psychological so far the unfoldment of knowledge itself is concerned, but appears to be modern as well, when we judge it from the scientific and practical point of view. Having cleared up the Jain Conceptions of Virtue and Vice (Vide Chapter XXVIII), of their fruitions here and hereafter, the problems of evil and the like rudimentary notions of the Jain Ethics, the moral categories have been taken up one by one in consecutive order beginning with 'Influx' (Vide Chap XXXI) of the alien matter into the constitution of the soul and the consequent bondage of the same under subreption (Mithyâtta) which is nothing else than taking a thing for something which is not that thing (asate sat buddhi). This mithyatva is the prime root of all troubles. Such being the case we have discussed