Jain Journal 1995 10

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

Page 38

SEKHAR : THE HUMAN PERSON FROM JAINA AND BUDDHIST
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or mental, primarily account for the 'movement' in the potential as well as in the actual stage, although the dhammas themselves do not move nor mix with one another. The appearance of each dhamma in a constant flow bears the resultant characteristics of all the previous dhammas. Their effect becomes the seed for future dhammas with their resultant forces.
This is being supported by the Buddhist doctrine of Dependent Origination (Paticca-samuppāda)43 which explains physical and psychical phenomena as conditioned (law of causation) by antecedent physical and pshychical factors, and the whole of existence (including human existence) is shown to be an uninterrupted flux of phenomena. This doctrine implicity rejects any idea of permanently
isting entity or ego, human or animal/vegetable kingdom. Samyutta-Nikāya44 expounds the 12 link formula: Take, for instance, in the case of a human person old age and death (janama maraña) are due to antecedent rebirth (jāti) ; rebirth is due to antecedent process of becoming (bhāva) ; becoming is due to clinging to life (upādāna); clinging is due to craving (taṇhā), craving is due to feeling (vedanā), feeling is due to sense-impression (phassa), senseimpression is due to the six bases of sense ayatana), the six bases are due to corporeality (näma-rūpa), corporeality is due to consciousness (vinnāna) ; consciousness is due to karma-formation (sankhāra); and karma-formation is due to ignorance (avijjā). In all these stages dhammas experience 'unrest' due to ignorance. 45
These 12 factors may have their logical links to one another, but 'craving' is considered the root cause of all suffering in mortal existence. Craving is closely linked, in Buddhist analysis, with Ignorance (Avijā) and Karma, as forces which perpetuate sorrowful
43. The understanding that the ultimate constituent of existence (dhamma)
has no substance, that it is evanescent, that it is a beginningless state of commotion and unrest, that it can be brought to rest only in the complete supression etc. gives the real meaning of Dukkha H.C., Warren, op.cit., p. 84, 86) Through the Doctrine of Dependent Origination the Blessed one enunciates how dependency or the conditioning in the total unrest of
elements is misery (ibid., pp. 368-369). 44. Sutta-Nipāta, II.7. 45. ibid. pp. 266-267.
This unrest or agitation is beautifully portrayed in the verse : 'while eagerly man calls life's flowers, with all his faculties intent, of pleasure still insatiate - death comes and overpowereth him. The Tathāgatha exclaims, 'when will men ever get freed from misery!' The final liberation is the suppression of all dhammas, an Absolute Calm.