Jaina Mysticism and Other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 69

Ahimsā' is applicable to both. Whenever we judge that a thing is good as a means', we judge both that it will have a particular kind of effect, and that effect will be good in itself. It may be noted that ethical judgements regarding ‘good as a means', may not be universally true; and many, though generally true at one period, will be generally false at other'', whereas ethical judgements regarding ‘good in itself are universally true. In both these kinds of good, the criterion of good as Ahimsā is to be adhered to. I may say in passing that the principle that 'the end justifies the means' need not be rejected as immoral if the above definition of good is accepted. For our present purpose the good means good in itself or the things which are intrinsically good.
...Now the answer to the question, what is the good, i.e. what kinds of things are intrinsically good according to the Jinist, is as follows:
1. The first thing which is the good for the Jinist is the Ahiṁsā of all living beings20. The Jinist classifies living beings (Jīvas) into five kinds, one-sensed to five-sensed Jīvas. The Jinist uses this classification as the measurement of the degree of Ahimsā. The classification of Jīvas is in the ascending order of the importance of Jīvas owing to the fact of having evolved consciousness known from the number of senses manifested. As for example two-sensed Jivas are more evolved than the onesensed Jīvas, five-sensed Jīvas are more evolved than the one, two, three, and four-sensed Jivas. Thus Ahimsā will be directly proportionate to the Ahimsā of the · Jīvas classified. The good ‘Ahiṁsā of all living beings' means the Ahimsā of these living beings. Though this measurement of Ahiṁsā emphasises the number of senses for calculating Ahimsā, yet in certain situations Ahimsā can not always be commensurate with the number of senses affected.
The Purusārthasidhyupāya seems to be aware of this fact. Therefore, it says, though Himsā may be committed by one yet there may be many who will have to suffer the consequences; it may be committed by many, the consequences
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Jaina Mysticism and other essays