Jaina Ethics

Author(s): Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 23

Faina Ethics
(ii) Those who are mainly concerned with the spiritual well-being of the man. This tradition, represented by the Upanisads includes Sārkhya, Yoga, Nyāya and Vedānta amongst orthodox school, and Buddhism and Jainism amongst the unorthodox systems.
(iii) The third category consists of those who strike a balance between the two opposite views mentioned above, and give equal importance to both of them. Vaiseșika system may be mentioned amongst this category. The attitude of Brāhmaṇism H3
In the Vedic period, the Rșis seem to be anxious for long life, progeny, wealth and fame. It was in the Upanisadic age that the pressure of the problem of misery was acutely felt. In the Chāndogyopanişad, Nārada, who had mastered all branches of knowledge, including the Vedas could not find out the way to get rid of misery. He approached Sanatkumāra in all humbleness, and told him that though he had heard that a man with self-realisation crossed miseries, he himself was not capable of overcoming them. “O Lord ! I am in grief; lead me to the shore that lies beyond grief”, he requested. In response to this request, Sanatakumāra unfolded the mysteries of life to Nārada.
The attitude of Buddhismeling
The credit of dealing with this problem of misery in a systematic way goes to Lord Buddha, who expounded an elaborate ethical system for the removal of misery. He realised the universality of suffering and explained its existence in these words : "Birth is misery ; old age, decay, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, woe, lamentation and despair are misery; not to get what one desires is misery. In short, the five groups based on grasping are misery."Lord Budddha preached not only the existence of misery but also brought the hope of redemption therefrom for the suffering humanity. He asserted 1. सो हं भगवः शोचामि तं मां भगवञ्छोकस्य पारं तारयत्विति ।
-Chandog yopanişad, 7.1.3. 2. Anguttara Nikāya, London, 1951, 3.62.10. PTS translation (slightly
modified.)