Jaina Acara Siddhanta aur Svarupa

Author(s): Devendramuni
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 94

Jaina Acāra : Siddhanta aura Swarupa
The thirty-fourth quality is victory over six enemies. Enemies are either external or internal. The internal ones are libido, indignation, avariciousness, infatuation, arrogance and jealousy. They are much more formidable than the external ones, and what counts in the long run is victory over them which the world finds an uphill task.
The sexual urge can be overcome with great difficulty. It pricks the heart like a thom and is fatal like poison. Therigātha says that lib comparable with a poisoned arrow and a pungent spear. The more you pander to its needs, the stronger it becomes. It is never fulfilled or satisfied. The second in strength is indignation. Sex burns within but indignation both within and without.The angry man loses not only his peace but also ruins the family and society. Anger is a short madness which does not let sanity prevail. The power and intelligence of an angry man burns like salt on a piece of live coal which makes cracking sound. It is a sort of mental smoke. It generates infatuation which the Gita corroborates. Infatuation covers intellect which degrades him. Akšapāda in Nyāyadarsana judges infatuation as a greater rascal than attachment and aversion. The third in order is avariciousness which generates other sins. It is greed which makes a butcher kill innocent animals. Arrogance like avarice becomes the cause of man's fall. The sixth is jealousy. Others' rise should delight you but jealousy stands in the way.
The thirty-fifth quality is victory over sense organs. They are deluded by internal foes. The sex organs, being parts of the body, need not be destroyed. What is needed is to wean them away from their respective objects. Unless controlleld, they may be ruinous. Vyāsa says they are volatile and unsteady like wind. Like magnet they attract the learned and even sages. He who is a slave to his senses ruins himself. He who keeps them under control wins the game. Many of these qualities relate to social life. They are not only necessary but indispensable as a background to asceticism. Life is one unit and it cannot be compartmentalized. Not that you pretend to be a good man in a monastery but the moment you come out of it you are hypocritical. A good householder is like the light of dawn whereas the ascetic is sunlight, but both are lights in their own spheres. A very ordinary householder may lack humanity but he who is on the right track is in the fourth stage of spiritual development. In books like Sraddhavidhi only 21 qualities have been mentioned. They are; 1 liberal minded 2. glorious 3. amiable 4. popular 5. compassionate 6. afraid of sin 7. faith in piety 8. clever 9. bashful 10. kind 11. indifferent 12. grave 13. lover of virtue and good qualities 14. instructor of religion 15. just 16. pure thinker 17. ethically restrained 18. polite 19. grateful 20. doar of good to others 21. proficient in doing good things.
· Possessed of such qualities, a votary will reform not only himself but also his society.