________________
Jain Ethics
85
the western writers have called 'Jainism', the Jains themselves call it 'Dharma." 46 Thus we find a clear assertion of Jain form of morality and religiousness in the religious faith' towards the five classes of holy beings through the practice of Jain moral code or ethics. It brings out nothing but a theistic vision of the ultimate truth and "the fact remains that it represents a kind of faith or human quality which has successfully engaged a section of humanity- the Jaina community in the task of growig in holiness in quest of transcendental perfection.""?
On the strength of the above mentioned reasons and discussion on then, we conclude that the Jain ethics presupposes a kind of theistic authority for the objectivė sanction of its code and its leaning towads ‘Holy pentad' for ethical practice are very clearly theistic. 4.2 The Law of Karma and its Theistic Implications 4.2.1 Introduction
The doctrine of Karma is of great importance for every student of religion and philosophy. 'Karma, a central, if not fundamental, doctrine in most of the world's religions,"48 The doctrine of Karma is one of the most significant tenets of Indian philosophy. "It has profoundly influenced the life and thought of the people in India." In general it means that all actions, good or bad, produce their effects. It helps us to understand certain difference amongst the individuals as well as desparities observed in life. “The law of Karma is the general moral law which governs not only the life and destiny of all individual beings, but even the order and arrangement of the physical world. "Su In modern society incorruptible men suffer immensely and the dishonest prosper. This kind of personal and social inequalities have been a perennial problem of provident and social justice."SlThe doctrine of Karma is a philosophic solution to this problem. It is the basic postulate of Hinduism. Buddhism and Jainism. “One finds an unanswerable truth
46. Dr. L. M. Joshi, Facts of Jain Religiousness in Comparative Light, (1981) P. 38 47. Dr. L. M. Joshi, Facts of Jain Religiousness in comparative Light, (1981)
p. 39 48. R.Zimmermann S.J.,F. The Doctrine of Karma in Jain philosophy by
Glasenapp. (1942) p. Viii. 49. Cave (Sidney), Living Religions of the East p. 31 50. Prof. S.C.Chatterjee and D.M.Datta, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy
(1968) p. 15-16. 51. Prin. T. G. Kalghatgi, Karma and Rebirth, Ahmedabad, (1972)
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
