ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 241

B.4.2
Srāvakācāra (Ethics of the Householder)
Dr. Kamal Chand Sogani
1.0 Ahimsā as the Foundation of Jaina Ethics Ethical discipline constitutes an important aspect of Jainism. The foundation of the ethical discipline is the doctrine of Ahimsā.? The laying down of the commandment not to kill and not to damage is one of the greatest events in the spiritual history of mankind. This is for the first time clearly expressed in Jainism.
1.1 Classification of Living Being from One-Sensed to Five-Sensed Beings The Jaina Agama classifies living beings (līvas) into five kinds, namely, one-sensed to fivesensed beings. The minimum number of Prānas possessed by the empirical self is four (one sense, one Bala, life-limit and breathing), and the maximum number is ten (five senses, three Balas, life-limit, and breathing).The lowest in the grade of existence are the onesensed Jivas, which possess only the sense of touch and they have only the Bala of Body, and besides they hold life-limit and breathing. These one-sensed Jīvas admit of five-fold classification 6, namely, the earth-bodied (Prthvīkāyika), water-bodied (Jalakāyika), firebodied (Agnikāyika) air-bodied (Vāyukāyika) and lastly, vegetable-bodied (Vanaspatikāyika) souls.
1.2 Progressive realization of Ahimsā (Householder and Muni) The entire Jaina ethics tends towards the translation of the principle of Ahimsā into practice. The Jaina regards as the ethical Summum Bonum of human life, the realisation of perfect Ahimsa. In fact Ahimsa is so central in Jainism that it may be incontrovertibly called the beginning and the end of Jaina religion. The statement of Samantabhadra that Ahimsā of all living beings is equivalent to the realisation of Parama Brahma sheds light on the paramount character of Ahimsā. Now, this idea of Ahimsā is realised progressively. Thus he who is able to realise Ahimsā partially is called a householder, whereas he who is able to realise Ahinmsă completely, though not perfectly is called an ascetic or a Muni. It belies the
Indian Thought and its Development by Albert Schweitzer, Pages 82-3, London 1951. 2 Ācārānga-sūtra, 132, (Agama Prakshana Samiti, Beawer 3 Ibid., 129
4 Ibid.
5 Sarvārthasiddhi of Pujyapāda, Il-14/288, Bharatiya Jnanapiha, New Delhi 6 lbid. 110
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