Jain Moral Doctrine

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Vikas Mandal

Page 27

CHAPTER II
THE INDISPENSABLE ASSOCIATES OF CARITRA
The self in its essentiality being infinite power, intelligence, joy and apprehension, its realisation and perfection which is the goal of religion and ethics, consists in its extrication from all impurities and elements of imperfection that are found associated with it in its experiential state. This emancipation of the empirical self is effected by Çāritra or right conduct. The possibility or rather the practicability of this fact of emancipation, may, however appear to be doubtful. If the elements of imperfection which are associated with the self, are real-which is an undeniable fact-and if the interfusion of the self with these elements of limitation is also a real phenomenon-which is also unquestionable—the complete emancipation of the self may not unjustly appear as difficult, if not impossible. This explains why in most of the European systems, the question of the complete and ultimate emancipation of the self is practically left open and untouched and some of them are content with identifying it with a citizenship of a well constituted State. There are some thinkers, nevertheless, who have taken up this ultimate question in all seriousness and discussed it in all its aspects. It has been found that the elements of finitude that are found in the self are not after all inseparable and that with all their rigours, the self has an element of freedom always left in it which enables it to transcend those elements of finitude and make itself ultimately free.
Some of the Indian philosophical systems seem to have taken up this question and discussed it in their own way, though in an indirect manner. The Mīmāmsā school maintained that although it was possible for a man to effect spiritual development to make additions to