Book Title: Gandharavada
Author(s): Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha

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Page 230
________________ 141 and the three Guptis and practising restraint thereby, is noninjurious; not one who is of just the opposite type. Such a man of restraint is not regarded as injurious irrespective of whether he kills or hurts or does not; for it is the intention that is the deciding facter, not the external act which is inconclusive. From the real point of new it is the evil intention that is himsă (injury) whether it materialises into an evil act of injuring or not. There can be non-injury even when the external act of injury has been committed and injury even when it has not been committed. (1762-0). Does this mean that the external act of killing is never injury? Much depends on the evil intention. That external act of killing which is the cause of an evil effect, or is caused by evil intention is himsă (injury). But that which is not caused by evil intentions or does not result in an evil effcct is not himsā in the case of the above-mentioned wise man. For example, sounds, etc. do not rouse the passions of a man free from attraction and infatuation because his mind o: intention is pure, undefiled. A good man does not have infatuation for his mother however beautiful she may be; similarly, the external act of injury is not himsă in the case of a man of a pure mind. Thus that the world is crowded with souls does not mean that there is himsā at every step. Therefore there are five elements, and of these the first four are possessed of soul. As to the statement that 'everything is comparable to a dream', that does not mean what Vyakta took it to mean — that everything is non-existent. It is only meant to prevent worldly souls capable of being emancipated from being stupefied by over-attachment to worldly objects like wealth, gold, son, wife; 'comparable to dream' does not mean that they are unreal, non-existent; but that there is no worth in them, one should not lodge all faith in them, but must strive for emancipation. But the things of the world do exist (1767-8). When Vyakta was convinced by Mahavīra of the impropriety of his doubt and of the reality of things, he became a monk along with his five hundred followers (1769). Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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