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THE ESSENCE OF JAINA SCRIPTURES
in it we possess the qualities of the self as they are. And equanimity is a state-of-evolution of the soul, a state which is completely exempt from blemish because there is no longer any infatuation and disturbance, which were caused by the arising (udaya) (the arising of karman out of its latent condition) of vision-infatuating (darshanmohaniya) and conduct-infatuating (charitra-mohaniya) karman.
Now he investigates what is to be understood by the conduct of the self:
8. A substance possesses the nature of that through which it evolves during the time of the evolution. Therefore the soul, evolved through dharma, must be considered to be dharma.
Whatever substance evolves at a certain time through a certain form of existence takes at that time the nature of that existence, like a piece of iron evolved through heat. Therefore this soul, evolved through dharma, is dharma, thus is settled what we must understand by the conduct of the soul.
Now he investigates the good (shubha), evil (ashubha) and pure (shuddha) states of the soul:
9. The soul accepts the character of its state-of-evolution. When the soul evolves through the good or the evil, it becomes good or evil. When it evolves through the pure, it becomes pure.
When the soul evolves through a mental-state (bhava) of attachment (raga), either good or evil, it becomes good or evil, possessing the character of its state-of-evolution; like a crystal evolved through the colour (raga) of the China rose (japa) or the Tamala flower (tapiccha). But, when it evolves through a pure mental-state exempt from attachment, it becomes pure, possessing the character of its state-ofevolution; like a crystal evolved through the pure, colourless condition. Thus is settled what we must understand by the good, evil and pure condition of the soul.
Now he investigates evolution, as being the innate nature of things: 10. There is no object without a state of evolution; there is no state-of-evolution without an object (arth); the object, in the form of substance, attributes and modifications, has developed from existence (astitva or satta).
No thing (vastu) receives existence without evolution, because a thing evolves through substance, etc., because these are never seen apart, because anything without evolution would resemble a donkey's
