ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 96

We may thus conclude that the criterion of perverted action is his, whereas the criterion of right action or ethico-social action is Ahi s. It is of capital importance to note that when our energies are directed to hi saka (destructive) ends social development is obstructed and when our energies are directed to Ahi saka (constructive) ends social development sets in.
It will not be possible to talk of Ahis without a world of living beings. Social Ahi s begins with the awareness of the 'other'. Like one's own existence, it recognizes the existence of other beings. In fact, to negate the existence of other beings is tantamount to negating one's own existence. Since one's own existence cannot be negated, the existence of other beings also cannot be negated. Thus there exists the universe of beings in general and that of human beings in particular.
The Jaina gama classifies living beings (J vas) into five kinds, namely, one-sensed to fivesensed beings." The minimum number of Pr as 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 one-sensed J va which posses only the sense of touch and they have only the Bala of body, and besides they hold life-limit and breathing. These one-sensed J va admit of five-fold classification, namely, the earth-bodied (Pţthiv k yika), water-bodied (Jalak yika), firebodied (Agnik yika) air-bodied (V yuk yika) and lastly, vegetablebodied (Vanaspatik yika) souls
The two sensed J va posses six Pr as, i.e., in addition to the four Pr as of one-sensed souls, they have two Pr as more; namely, the sense of taste, and the Bala of speech; the three-sensed souls have the sense of smell additionally, the four-sensed souls have the sense of colour besides the above; and lastly, the five-sensed souls which are mindless are endowed with the sense of hearing in addition; and those with mind possess all the ten Pras. Thus the number of Pras possessed by the one-sensed to five-sensed souls is four, six, seven, eight, nine and ten respectively. This classification of J vas into five kinds is used for the measurement of the degree of Ahis. The more the senses one has, the more the evolved consciousness. As for example, two-sensed beings are more evolved than the one-sensed beings, five sensed beings are more evolved than the one, two, three and four-sensed beings. Thus Ahis will be directly proportionate to the Ahis of the beings (J vas) classified
Now for the progress and development of these beings, Ahi sought to be the basic value guiding the behaviour of human beings. For a healthy living, it represents and includes all the values directed to the 'other' without over-emphasizing the values directed to one's own self. Thus it is the pervasive principle of all the values. Posit Ahis and all the values are posited. Negate Ahis and all the values are negated. Ahis purifies our action in relation to the self and other beings. This purification consists in our refraining from certain actions and also in our performing certain actions by keeping in view the existence of human and sub-human beings.
It may be asked what is in us on account of which, we consciously lead a life of values based on Ahi s? The answer is: it is Karu , which makes one move in the direction of adopting Ahi svalues. It may be noted that the degree of Karu in a person is directly proportionate to the development of sensibility in him. The greatness of a person lies in the expression of sensibility beyond ordinary limits. This should be borne in mind that the emotional life of a person plays a decisive role in the development of healthy personality and Karuis at the core of healthy personality and Karu is at the core of healthy emotions. Attachment and aversion bind the human personality to mundane-existence, but Karu liberates the individual from Karmic enslavement. Dhaval , the celebrated commentary on the Satkha d gama, remarkably pronounces that Karu is the nature of soul.19 To make it clear, just as infinite knowledge is the nature of soul, so also is Karu This implies that Karu is potentially present in every being although its full manifestation takes place in the life of the Arhat, the perfect being. Infinite Karu goes with infinite knowledge. Finite Karu goes with finite knowledge.
Thus if Karu which is operative on the perception of the sufferings of the human and sub-human beings plunges into action in order to remove the sufferings of these beings, we regard that action as
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0