Jain Journal 1969 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 15

JANUARY, 1969
109
The karma in the Jaina philosophy is divided into eight classes : Those which act as an impediment to the knowledge of truth; those which act as an impediment to the right insight of various sorts ; those which give one pleasure or pain, and those which produce bewilderment. The other four are related to one's span of life, body, caste and obstruction to natural energy. These are so minutely dealt that a student of Jaina karma philosophy can trace any effect to a praticular karma. No other Indian philosophy reads so beautifully and so clearly the doctrine of karma. Persons who, by right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, destroy all karma and thus fully develop the nature of their soul reach the highest perfection, become divine and are called Jinas. Those Jinas who, in every age, preach the law and establish the order, are called Tirthankaras.
I now come to the Jaina ethics, which directs conduct to be so adapted as to insure the fullest development of the soul--the highest happiness, that is the goal of human conduct, which is the ultimate end of human action. Jainism teaches to look upon all living beings as upon one-self. What then is the mode of attaining the highest happiness? The sacred books of the Brāhmaṇas prescribe devotion and karma. The Vedanta indicates the path of knowledge as the means to the highest. But Jainism goes a step farther and says that the highest happiness is to be obtained by knowledge and religious observances. The five mahāvratas or great commandments for Jaina ascetics are :
Not to kill, i.e., to protect all life; not to lie; not to take that which is not given: to abstain from sexual intercourse; to renounce all interest in worldly things, especially to call nothing one's own.