Facets of Jaina Religiousness in Comparative Light

Author(s): L M Joshi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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FACETS OF JAINA RELIGIOUSNESS
fold restraint (tridanda) is basic to both Buddhism and Jainism. Consider, for example, the following two verses :
kāyena samvutā dhirā atho vācā ya samvutā/ manasā samvutā dhira te ve suparisamvutā//76
“The wise who restrain their body, who restrain their speech, the wise who restrain their mind, are indeed well restrained."
kāyena samvaro sādhu, sädhu vācāya samvaro manasā samvaro sadhu, sadhu sabbattha samvarol
sabbattha samvuto bhikkhu, sabba dukkhā pamuccati// “Restraint in the body is good; restraint in speech is good; restraint in the mind is good; restraint in everything is good. A monk restrained in everything is liberated from all miseries."
The Buddhist texts use the word samvara not only in the sense of restraint or control, but also in that of 'vow' and 'obligation'. Thus we have a sizeable body of ascetic rules which are obligatory for monks and nuns (prātimokşa-samvara) and the Mahāyānasūtras deal in great detail with what is called the bodhisattva-samvara, the vow of an enlightened being which consists in working for universal liberation. II. ix. NIRJARĀNUPREKSĀ
The concept of nirjarā is peculiar to Jainism. It is one of the seven fundamental truths of the Jaina system. The entire ascetic and ethical effort of a Jaina saint is directed towards destruction of karmas. The karmas which have come into operation and are attached to the units of the soul have to be detached and eradicated. This act of separation, isolation, dissociation or detachment of the soul from the karmas together with the fact of cessation, eradictation or annihilation of the accumulated karmas is called nirjara. Mere restraint (samvara) is not enough; restraint is good for obstructing the increase of karmas. But the karmas which have already come into operation, which have been accumulated in the past, have to be eradicated. This process of eradicating past karmas is known as nirjară (pūrvak stakarmaśātanam tu nirjara).?? The crucial importance attached to austerities and penances in the Jaina path of release is due to their effectiveness in destroying karmas. The destruction of karmas takes place on their fruition or maturity (nirjarā vedanāvipāka). This is of two types; karmas may reach their fruition after the doer has suffered their consequences in evil states such as hell; this kind of nirjarā is no good; one should consciously effect nirjarā by practising penances and by conquering afflictions; this kind of nirjarā is aus
75. Dhammapada, Verse 234. 76. Ibid., verse 361. 77. See Bhagavati Aradhana, verse 1844 and Aparājitasūri's Țikā thereupon.