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truth and non-conduct, to give oneself to insatiable desires, to hold wrong views on account of delusion, to act with impure resolves, and to be hedonistic, — all these are Asur characteristics."? Again, to be covetous, to be violent, to be snared in hundreds of vain hopes, to be entangled in anger and lust, to be engaged in amassing wealth by unjust means for the gratification of desires, to regard oneself as accomplished, as lord and king of men, and as happy and strong, and to be puffed up with riches and birth, — all these also come under the sweep of demoniac nature.18 Moreover, persons having such inclination regard the world as unreal, without basis and without God. They despise the Supreme Being which is hidden in themselves and in others. 19 The above-mentioned base and sordid dispositions must needs be relinquished in the interest of higher progress. According to Jainism all that is responsible for inauspicious Asrava is demoniac in character. Four kinds of instincts, 19 the three inauspicious Lesyās, sensual indulgence, Arta and Raudra Dhyānas, improper use of knowledge, delusion20 and the thirteen kinds of passions21 along with violence, falsehood, incontinence and acquisition of wealth, — all these entail inauspicious Asrava.
The Leśyās of Jainism bear close resemblance to the demoniac endowments of the Bhagavad Gita Of the six Leśyās, 22 Krsna, Nila, Kapota Teja, Padma and Sukla, the first three are inauspicious and the other three are auspicious. One who does not give up enmity, is wrathful, pugnacious, villainous and bereft of piety and compassion is possessed by Krona Lesyä 23 One who is slow, conceited, deceitful, indolent, mysterious. covetous, expert in swindling, extremely sleepy, bereft of common sense and sagacity, and extremely eager for sense objects is controlled by Nila Leśyā.24 To be angry with others, to be full of sorrow and fear, to be envious and slanderous, to belittle and tease others, to be pleased with supplicants, to be ignorant of one's own loss and gain, to extol oneself, to give wealth to flatterers, not to trust others and not to distinguish between duty and non-duty, — all these are characteristics of men possessed by Kapota Leśyā 25 Then, there are eight kinds of pride which come under the Asuri characteristics. They are pride of knowledge, respectability, prestige, community, family, wealth, austerity and body.26 Jain ethics exhort that all these should li renounced.
Jaina Mysticism and other essays
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