Jain Journal 2000 04

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

Page 20

JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXIV, No. 4 April 2000
reap the consequences. They call for subduing desire by desirelessness71, giving up the world72, his possessions and relations and all undertakings and become a wanderer and homeless without worldly interests. 73 A Muni is said to be the one who knows the doctrine of sin, who knows the time, the occasion, the conduct, the religious precept and disowns all things as not required for religious purposes. In him there is no worldly desires and attachment.
176
The Uttaradhyayanasūtra describes a conversation between King Nami and the god of gods Śakra, in the guise of a Brāhmaṇa. Śakra asks King Nami, 'Your place is on fire, why do you not look after your seraglio?' To this the king replies, 'Happy are we, happy we live, we who call nothing our own; when Mithila is on fire, nothing is burnt that belongs to me. To a monk who has left his sons and wives and who has ceased to act, nothing pleasant can occur, nor anything unpleasant. There is much happiness for the sage, for the houseless monk, who is free from all ties, and knows himself to be single and unconnected (with the rest of the world).75
Ideas cherished by such mendicants give us a different perspective to the understanding of wealth and the rich blessings of the world. Such an attitude towards wealth keeps Religion as priority and religious living as the sure means to attain the goal of life. 'Making faith his fortress, penance and self-control the bolt (of its gate), patience its strong wall... making zeal his bar, its string carefulness in walking (iriya) and its top (where the string is fastened content, he should bend (this bow) with Truth, piercing with the arrow, penance, (the foe's) mail, karma (in this way) a sage will be the victor in battle and get rid of the samsāra.'
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74
From the Śramana perspective, wealth cannot give what is necessary to man: 'If there were numberless mountains of gold and silver, as big as Kailasa, they would not satisfy a greedy person; for his activity is boundless like space." .77 Wealth cannot really save me : It is only a fool who thinks that his wealth, cattle and relations will save him; they him or he them. But they are no help, no protection.'78 Fourteenth chapter of the Uttaradhyayana describes how two sons took refuge in the path of the Jina. As the father discourages and
71. Walter Fernandez, ibid., p. 18.
72. Acārāngasutra, ibid., 1.2.2.1.
76. Ibid. 9.20-22.
77.
Ibid., 9. 48.
78.
Sūtrakṛtānga, ibid. 1.2.3.16.