________________
XIX
Ten Characteristics of Monks' Dharma
Dharma transcends time and clime What is for the welfare of humanity is Dharma, which cannot be bound by caste, sex, creed or colour, The Vedas, Upanisadas, Buddhists, Jainas etc, have used the word Dharma, but several meanings have been assigned to it. Devotion, liberality, merit, justice, reasoning, Yoga etc. are its meanings. Etymologically it means 'that which holds', i.e. that which protects man from predicaments and misery. Dharma is not religion, sect or faith. As a matter of fact, there is no word in English to give the import of Dharma. Kant says that it is to take all duties as divine command. Hegal takes it as 'the cognition of the limitless in the bound mind of man'. Whitehead says that man's treatment of himself is Dharma, but it is its subjective, personal definition. 'He that claims to love God must love his brethren here' is its social definition. Herbet Spenser says 'It is the imaginative concept to comprehend the vast expanse of the entire universe'. But there are things in the world which are beyond the understanding of man. James Fraser says,-"It is the adoration of such powers as are above man to control and guide mankind." William James says, "It is faith which makes one surmise that the world is governed by some unseen power and that our good lies in harmony with it." It is not easy to present a foolproof definition of Dharma. All that we can say is that what purifies man's thought and conduct is Dharma.
Sthānanga Sutra has given its concept of Dharma which has thus been explicated by Abhayadeva. (1) Ksanti - is control over anger. (2) Mukti -is control over greed. (3) Arjava - is control over deceit. (4) Mardava - is control over pride. (5) Lāghava - is renunciation of Sriddhi, i.e.relishing diet and pleasure. (6) Satya - is simplicity of body, thought and language and the sameness of word and deed. (7) Samyama - is to abstain from injury. (8) Penance (9) Tyaga - is to offer food and drink to one's co-religionists. (10) Brahmacarya-is to abstain from carnal pleasures.
Aklanka's classification is as follows:
(1) Ksama-is to control over anger even when provoked.
(2) Mardava is not to be proud of caste, glory, learning and the like as also not to resent even when humiliated.
(3) Arjava-is the simplicity of mind, body and speech.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
