Jaina Ethics

Author(s): Dayanand Bhargav
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 25

Faina Ethics nality of the sufferer e.g. pain caused by beasts or enemies. (iii) ādhidaivika i.e. arising from supernatural powers, including six calamities (sadītis), planets and elemental agencies.1
It may be argued that there are tangible means of getting rid of these miseries, e.g. disease can be cured by medicine; and therefore one need not worry about ethics. But there are two objections to it. In the first place, it is not sure that a particular misery can be cured by a particular tangible means without fail, e.g. a medicine may or may not cure the disease. Secondly, the relief is only temporary. Therefore, we cannot depend on tangible means. The root cause of these miseries will have to be found and a check imposed so as to uproot miseries premanently and unfailingly. Hence the necessity of a moral discipline.2 In Särkhya the element of rajas, which represents misery, is said to be present in all our experience and, therefore, all our intellectual operations are said to be beset with misery.3
Coming to Yoga, which represents the ethical aspect of the same system of which Sārkhya is the metaphysical representation, we find that even so-called pleasures of life have also been considered as miseries; and a check on those miseries, which are yet to come, has been advised. Yoga Sūtra gives many reasons for condemning even so-called pleasures as misery. In the first place, they are not stable. Secondly, even these temporary enjoyments are achieved with a lot of trouble and struggle. Thirdly, dependence on these objects bereaves us of independence. Fourthly, desires never die. Fulfilment of one desire leads to multiplicity of desires, and thus the chain never ends. Fifthly, hankering after worldly objects brings us in clash with those who are running after the self-same object.
1. Miśra, Vācaspati on Sānkhyakārikā, Poona, 1934, kārikā 1. 2. दुःखत्रयाभिघाताज्जिज्ञासा तदपघातके हेतौ । दृष्टे साऽपार्था चेन्नकान्तात्यन्ततोऽभावात् ।।
--Sūnkhyakārikā, Poona, 1934, kārikā 1. 3. तदेतत्प्रत्यात्मवेदनीयं दुःखं रजःपरिणामभेदो न शक्यते प्रत्याख्यातुम् ।
--Miśra, Vācaspati on Sārkhyakärikā, 1. 4. Teg:CHATTE
-Yogasūtra, Gorakhapura, Vik. Sam. 2013, 2.16.