Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 172

The Sophisticated Stage 151 works out. Of these, seventeen are major which consist of five indriyas, four kaşāyas, five avratas and three yogas. The easiest way for Karma to enter is through the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Then come the activities of the four passions or kaşāyas, namely, anger, conceit, deceit and avarice. Again, through not taking the five great vows evil Karma may flow in five ways (pañca-avratas). Lastly, Karma will also flow into any soul which allows mind, speech and body to become entangled with material objects. Besides these seventeen major ways, there are twenty-five minor ways by which Karma is acquired.
Samvara: The way in which the influx of Karma can be checked is called Samvara, “As a large tank, when its supply of water has been stopped, gradually dries up by the consumption of water and by evaporation, so the Karma of a monk, which he acquired in millions of births, is annihilated by austerities, if there is no influx of bad Karma.". The ideal of liberation can thus be realised only by the stoppage and shedding of Karma. Samvara is that which stops. By it the channels through which Karma finds entrance into the soul can be blocked. Corresponding to the two modes of influx of Karmas (bhāvāsrava and dravyäsrava) are two kinds of control, opposing this influx, and they are respectively called bhāvasamvara and dravyasamvara.? To the former category belong (1) the five vows, (2) the samitis consisting of the avoidance of the killing of the insects (iryā), gentle and holy talk (bhāṣā), receiving proper alms (eșaņā) etc., (3) guptis or restraints of body, speech and mind (4) dharmas consisting of the ten virtues, (5) anuprekşā consisting of meditations of various forms, (6) parişahājaya consisting of conquering all kinds of external conditions and (7) caritra or right conduct. The total number of all these restraints is fifty-seven. Besides the three kinds of samiti mentioned above we have two more belonging to this category-ādānanikşepana (careful use of material objects) and partithāpana (careful disposal of the extras). Parisahā is of twenty-two kinds which demand endurance of hunger, thirst, heat, cold, lack of garments, and so on. We have already referred to the ten virtues consisting of self-control, truthfulness, purity, chastity, greedlessness, asceticism, forbearance, mildness, sincerity and spirit of liberation. Caritra is of five kindsto give up evil conduct (sāmāyika), to believe in repentance (chedopas
ISBE, XLV, p. 174. 2DS (Vrtti) 35; VP, XVI, 67-68.