Jaina Karmaology

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 49

44 20. Moreover, if violence is taken as a merit-earning or religioncausing, the fishermen, bird-catchers and hog-killers etc. -all will be called religion-earning. Thus, the instructions regarding non-violence will turn illogical 21. Q. It could be postulated that animal-killing is an act of demerit except in the case of sacrificial killing. A. This is not correct. In both cases, killing is there and, therefore, there is equality in pain. Hence, its effect should also be similar (i.e. demerit earning). It may be presented in terms of a syllogism :
“The sacrifical animal killing causes bondage of demerit, as it leads to destruction of vitalities like the animal killing in any other place".
It may have an alternative reverse syllogism like:
"The animal killing done at any other place should be meritearning because it is killing like the sacrifical killing." 22.Q. The Manusmrti says that the animals have been created for the sacrifical killing by the All-mighty Brahma himself. Thus, there is no sin in killing them for sacrifical rites.
This is not correct. This fact has to be proved logically.
23. Moreover, it is observed that any object meant for a particular purpose, can not be used otherwise. There is always a flaw there. It is seen that any medicine useful for cough-removal, if used in other disease, causes defect. Similarly, the animals meant for sacrificial killing should not be used for sale and purchases etc., otherwise there will be undesirable (sinful) effect. 24.Q. It is seen that when any poison is consecrated by an incantation or Mantra, it looses its killing capacity. Similarly, when animal killing is performed under the spell of incantation, it looses its demerit-earning capacity. A. This is not correct as the case of sacrificial killing is directly contradictory. It is seen that the incantation-consecrated poison is observed to loose its killing capacity by itself or the water or human beings are stopped or quietened without use of neck-roping etc. by the force of incantational recitals. Similarly, if the sacrificial animals could be seen loosing there vitalities by the force of incantational recitals, they would have led faith in them. However, it is seen that the