Harmless Soul

Author(s): W J Johnson, Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 32

18 Harmless Souls appears to be saying that, since intention is irrelevant to sin, and thus to karmic bondage, therefore just as the 'mindless' man binds himself by his actions alone so do jīvas in all other conditions down to ekendriyas (i.e. beings who have no organs through which they can experience passion or intention). This would certainly be consistent with the view that it is action and not intention which is instrumental in bondage, and is a further indication that the instrumentality of passion (kaşāya) is a relatively late addition to Jaina belief.
Thus the ideal Jaina monk, according to Sūyagadamga 2.4.11, is one who abstains from the five cardinal sins and all the vices, who 'does not act or kill'; he is 'wellcontrolled and restrained, avoids and renounces sins, is not active, but careful and thoroughly wise'.37 Comparing this with the standard formula given, for instance, at Sūyagadamga 2.1.50 - 'A monk who does not act, nor kill, who is free from wrath, pride, deceit, greed, who is calm and happy,' etc.38 - the implication would seem to be that wrath, etc. (the four kinds of passion or kaşāya) are not directly instrumental in bondage as such, but that they lead to violent action (or action of any kind?) which is binding. This probably reflects the original connection of kaşāya with bondage. 39
Colette Caillat, in her study of the Cheya Suttas, 40 states that Jaina teachers are anxious to 'redeem and reform even the very impulses and intentions' of the monks. Consequently, they take trouble to 'divine these intentions
37 Jacobi's trans., p. 405 (with minor alterations), of: ...akirie alūsae ... samjayavirayapadihayapaccakkhāyapāvakamme akirie samvude egantapandie ...
38 Jacobi's trans., p. 352, of: se bhikkhū akirie alūsae akohe amāņe amāe alohe uvasamto parinivvude ....
39 See pp. 35-36, below, for a discussion of this. 40 Caillat 1975.