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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
without attachment and with the noble purpose of sustaining his body for the good of others. Though their activity of eating food is identical, the former binds karmas, whereas the latter keeps his inner life sublime (even while eating). It is because the former is indiscreet and under the sway of attachment and infatuation, while the latter is discreet and free from attachment and infatuation. Similarly, two persons visit a holy place of pilgrimage and stay there for a few days. But one does all his activities with mindfulness and thinks good thoughts, while the other does all his activities carelessly and thinks deceitful and wily thoughts. So, the pilgrimage acts as the cause of release in the case of the former, while the same acts as the cause of bondage in the case of the latter. The mental states of all those who visit a temple for worship are not uniform. Those whose mental states are good and pure earn spiritual merit, and others who entertain cruel, evil or wily thoughts bind inauspicious karmas. Thus, worship of tirthankaras acts as the cause of the spiritual good in the case of the former, while the same acts as the cause of the bondage of the inauspicious karmas in the case of the latter.
Thus we explain the above quoted statement of Acārāngasūtra.
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We can also explain it somewhat different. A wise and discreet man does not stick to the general rule always on all occasions without using his power of discretion. He takes into account the various conditions, viz. the place, time, etc., then decides as to what is right action and what is wrong action, or what is duty or otherwise under present conditions, and accordingly acts or behaves. On the other hand, a stupid and indiscreet person blindly follows the general rule and considers an act to be right or wrong strictly in accordance with the general rule. He does not take into account the conditions and circumstances of the concerned place and time. As a result, though he has the intention to perform duty and act rightly, he performs what is not duty and acts wrongly.
In his observance of austerity, a person has completely given up food and water. Now it so happens that he becomes very much thirsty, longs for water, constantly utters 'water' 'water', and tosses about with pain and restlessness. If, at that time, our sense of duty and religion does not offer him water and allows him to die, then it is really not the sense of duty and religion.
A man has taken the vow of covihara (renunciation of food and water during the whole night.) Suddenly his body is overpowered with the unbearable and fatal heat, and as a result he faints. How can it be the
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