Jain Journal 1973 01

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

Page 18

JANUARY, 1973
are one and with limit; as to place, the perfected souls are in possession of innumerable space-units and hold innumerable space-units, but still with limit; as to time, the perfected souls are with a genesis but without limit; and as to bhava, the perfected souls are in possession of limitless knowledge, limitless vision, till in possession of limitless non-heaviness, limitless non-lightness, still without limit. So you see, the perfected souls are, as to substance, with limit; as to place, with limit ; (but) as to time, without limit, and so without limit as to bhāva.
And then, Skandaka, you have in mind,. till by what death does a being enlongen or shorten his stay. On this I ordain : Death has two types, viz., death of the fool and death of the prudent. And what about the death of the fool? Well, it may occur by twelve causes, which are due to starvation and thirst, due to too much submission to the dictates of the organs of senses, due to inner thorn, due to tadbhava (condemning one to rebirth in same species of existence as man or as animal), due to a fall from a mountain, or from a tree, due to drowning in water, due to entering into fire, due to taking poison, due to hurt by some deadly weapon, due to hanging and due to piercing by some wild animals. Death due to any one of these causes enlongens stay in the infernal existence as it does in animal, human and celestial existences. He (i.e., anyone dying due to anyone of these causes) continues to glide back and forth in the wilderness, without a beginning and without end, of the infernal, sub-human, human and celestial existences. Hence he enlongens his stay by dying the death of the fool.
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And what about dying the death of the prudent? Death of the prudent may take place in (either of) the two ways, which are, by lying steadfast (till death) like a tree, and by rejecting all intakes (of food). And what about lying steadfast like a tree? This (again) may be of two types, which are, lying in the midst of a human surrounding (such as a town or a village), and lying far away from such surrounding (in an unfrequented, lonely place). (Both these), as a rule, entail a total restraint of movement and care. Even death by renouncing intake of food may be of two types, which are (as before) in the midst of a human surrounding and far away from such a surrounding, (but these) as a rule, allow movement and care. This much about courting death by renouncing the intake of food. By courting, (either of) these two forms of death, the soul may cut down his innumerable glidings back and forth, may wholly surpass limitless stays in the wilderness of infernal and other existences. Thus he cuts short his stay in these. Such is (the outcome of) dying the death of the prudent. So, you see, oh Skandaka, how the living beings by courting one or the other' of the two types of death