Jain Journal 2008 01 No 03

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

Page 21

SatyaRanjanBanerjee:Contributionofthe Jainsin Developing MoralFibresoftheIndians
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Similar idea is also found in the Dhammapada (XIX. 6) where ahiṁsā, samyama and dama are mentioned along with truth and dhamma. The verse says --
yamhi saccam ca dhammo ca ahiṁsā saññamo damo /
sa ve vantamalo dhīro thero iti pavuccati // “Where there is truth, religion (dhamma), non-violence, self restraint and controlling of mind (damo), it is without any dirt, that is normally called dhiro (patient) and sthavira.”
In fact, even in Hindu scriptures, penance is highly adored. A verse (source not known) tells us that if a person does severe penance, even the gods are also frightened.
yad duşkaraṁ yad durāpa yad durgam yacca dustaram /
tad sarvaṁ tapasā prāpyar tapo hi duratikramam // “What is difficult to do, what is difficult to get, what is difficult to overcome or to get, what is difficult to cross, all can be got by penance, for, indeed, nobody can transgress (the fruit of) penance.”
There are innumerable stories in Indian mythology where it is found that in order to disturb the penance of the mortals, some sorts of nymphs are sent, because even the gods are also frightened by the penance of the mortals.
Bhāvanā is the spiritual attitude which could be attained through pūjā (worship). In Jain scriptures, there are twelve spiritual attitudes (dvādaśa bhāvanā). These are -- (i) anitya (on impermanence), (ii) āśaraņa (on helplessness), (iii) saṁsāra (on the cycle of transmigration), (iv) ekatva (on solitariness), (v) anyatva (on the separateness of the self and body), (vi) asucitva (on the foulness ot the body), (vii) āsrava (in the influx of karma), (viii) samvara (on the checking of karma), (ix) nirjarā (on the elimination of karma), (x) loka (on the universe), (xi) bodhi-durlabha (on the difficulty of enlightenment), and (xii) dharma (on the attainment of peace and salvation)
These bhāvanās have been narrated by the Svetāmbaras who also call them as anuprekşās, while the Digambaras enumerate sixteen bhāvanās, which are different from the above. Cāmundarāya in