Harmless Soul

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

Page 35

Early Jainism 21 is evil in so far as it leads to further bondage). The attitude is that of Ayāramga 1.3.1.4, where killing (chanam) is described as the root of karma (kammamūlam) and rebirth; that is to say, karman is profoundly negative according to these earliest texts.
It is clear that, for the Dasaveyāliya, himsā of any kind results in bondage, regardless of whether such 'harming' is intentional or unintentional; that is to say, there is no such thing as an 'accident' for the Jaina monk, all himsā is due to carelessness. So at Dasaveyāliya 5.1.5 a monk is warned to be careful at all times on his begging tour, since, 'By falling or stumbling a (monk, however) self-controlled, would injure moving or unmoving beings'.47 And at Dasaveyāliya 6.10, it is explicitly stated that, 'As many moving or unmoving beings as there are in the world, (so many of them) a monk should not injure or cause to be injured, either consciously or unconsciously'.48 Thus, among many other restrictions, 'he should duly (and) with exertion inspect (his) alms-bowl and cloth, his bed, the place of excretion, straw or seat' (Dasaveyāliya 8.17), and 'Excrement, urine, mucus, phlegm, (and) filth, he should put away, having, by inspection, found out a pure place' (Dasaveyāliya 8.18).49
Throughout the Dasaveyāliya Sutta, the necessity for the monk to act in a manner which does not cause
47 pavadante va se tattha pakkhalante va samjae | himsejja pāņa-bhūyāim tase aduva thāvare ||
See also Das. 5.1.57-64 for the prohibition on food and drink which might have been mingled with blossoms, seeds, plants, dust and mould, fire, etc.
48 Emphasis added to Schubring's trans. (with alterations) of: jāvanti loe pānā tasā aduva thāvarā | te jāņam ajānam vā na haņe no va ghāyae || 49 Schubring's trans. (with minor alterations) of: dhuvam ca padilehejjā jogasā pāya-kambalam | sejjam uccārabhūmim ca samthāram aduvāsanam ||8.17|| uccāram pāsavaṇam khelam singhāņa jalliyam | phāsuyam padilehittā paritthāvejja samjae ||8.18||