Book Title: Jaina Philosophy and Religion
Author(s): Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Previous | Next

Page 126
________________ 98 Jaina Philosophy and Religion auspicious mental states do cause bondage according to their natures. Yet we should remember that auspicious inflow of karmic matter caused by the auspicious activities-good activities beneficial to one's own self as also to others—is spiritually beneficial to the soul. The auspicious karmic matter bound on account of good activities performed with good mental states presents one with the means of spiritual welfare. Therefore, the auspicious karmic matter bound on account of auspicious activities should be regarded as praiseworthy. The auspicious karmas bring us auspicious circumstances and good and very good means of religious and spiritual culture, viz. human birth, birth in a favourable country, good family, religious and cultured parents, healthy body, good teacher, good company, etc. How important these auspicious karmas are! The auspicious karma of the highest type, viz., tīrthankaranāmakarma is highly praiseworthy because it is the cause of the attainment of tirthankarahood. In all the high and low states of living except the attachment-free state, the process of karmic bondage incessantly goes on. One should bear in mind one important point that one should assiduously avoid the bondage of evil or inauspicious karmas, whereas one should not be afraid of the bondage of good, wholesome or auspicious karmas.' Jaina and Non-Jaina Conceptions of Soul The subject-matter of the spiritual science pertains to soul. So, it mainly discusses the nature of soul. Our study of the various views regarding the nature of soul removes doubts from our mind and generates its true 1. Study the following verse by Upadhyāya Yasovijayaji. naiva, yat punyabandho'pi dharmahetuḥ śubhodayah / vahner dāhyam vināsya eva naśvaratvāt svato mataḥ // verse 17, First Dvātrimsikā Explanation: The verse declares that the bondage of auspicious karmas has auspicious fruition and is the cause of religious practice. It is not opposed to liberation and dissociation of karmic matter. Auspicious karmas destroy themselves after having destroyed the inauspicious karmas just as fire itself gets extinguished after having burnt the fuel. While commenting on the 22nd verse of the same Dvātrimśika, Upadhyāyaji says that auspicious karmas are not an obstruction in our pilgrimage to liberation. On the contrary, they make our pilgrimage easy. The soul having auspicious or good mental states is not attached to the objects of pleasures which it has attained on the rise of auspicious karmas. So, it remains selfcontrolled, calm, unagitated; it steadily moves on the path of religion; of course, its practice of yoga or spiritual discipline is not rigorous. As it is vigilant, ardently desires liberation and has pure intellect, it adopts the great path of liberation when opportunity or occasion arises and gradually advances on it. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500