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Jaina Logic
407
and irrelevant substance as medicine, then also he cannot remove his malarial fever. Thus, both the knowledge of the proper medicine and the activity in accordance with this knowledge are necessary for the patient to cure himself of the disease. The same thing applies to a person who wants to attain liberation. He knows that one cannot progress on the path of liberation, if one does not refrain from immorality, injustice and hypocrisy. If he does not act or behave according to his knowledge, he cannot progress on the path of liberation. On the contrary, he moves in the opposite direction, getting more and more away from the goal of liberation. This means that if knowledge is not put into practice, it is useless, that is, it does not bring about the desired fruit. Similarly, mere practice without right guidance of knowledge cannot bear the desired fruit or bears the undesired and unfavourable one.
A hungry man can never satisfy his hunger by merely seeing or praising the meal presented before him. To satisfy his hunger, he should move his hand and mouth, that is, he should actually eat the meal. Similarly, it will not do for us to merely listen to the beneficial teaching of the great saints, but in addition we should put it into practice after having properly understood it. How can a man who has the knowledge of the way to his destination reach there, if he does not walk forward on the way? And what would happen if he, in the absence of right knowledge of the path, takes to and moves on the wrong path? In that case, the destination would certainly remain far off and in addition he would wander here and there, without moving a step forward in the direction of the destination.
Regarding the mutual cooperation of knowledge and practice, Višeşāvaśyakabhāsya declares.
hayam nāņam kiyāhīņam hayā annānao kiyā) pasaṁto pamgulo daddho dhāvamāno a ardhao// 1159 //
–Višeșāvasyakabhāsya (Āvasyaka-Niryukti gāthā) Meaning: Futile indeed is knowledge without practice. Even so is practice without knowledge. A lame man was burntinspite of his sight while a blind caught fire even though fleeing. This illustration is elucidated in the following verse:
samjogasiddhi phalam vayanti na hu egacakkena raho payāi/ amdho ya pamgū ya vaņe samiccă te sampauttā nagaram pavitthā//1965//
-Višeşāvasyakabhāsya (Āvasyaka-Niryukti gāthā) A desired fruit is brought about only through the cooperation of
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