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SENSE-FEELING AND EMOTION
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As the Jaina conception of emotions is, as has been mentioned, not exclusively psychological. It includes in it the course of ethical discipline as well. Thus, it is a psycho-ethical treatment. Its origination is psychological, whereas the application thereof is ethical. The same is the case with all concepts of emotions if considered from the standpoint of applied psychology. There may be somewhat controversy regarding the nature of classification or intensity of a particular emotion, but that matters little, since it is an impossibility to have a unanimity in this respect. The Jaina point of view, as has already been mentioned, classifies all strong emotions into four groups, viz., anger, pride, decet, and greed; and each of these is again divided into four sub-groups. Each sub-group possesses some specific characteristics. While dealing with the nature of these characteristics we pointed out that a particular group hinders a particular length of period. Now, with regard to belief and conduct, we do not propose to give any explanation. As regards the length of duration, the Jaina thinkers hold that the period mentioned in this connection is not of much significance. 'It has been mentioned only to serve our practical purposes'.1 Really speaking, it is the intensity of emotions that is more important than the limit of time. To put it in a different manner, the primary factor constituting the nature of a particular category of emotions is the intensity of mental excitement. How long the effect of an emotion lasts, is of secondary value. It may last for the length of period prescribed for it. It may also vanish earlier. It may last for a longer period as well. Thus, it is the intensity and not the duration which plays an important rôle in the case of emotions. There are interesting illustrations in the karma-literature expressing the various degrees of the intensity of emotions.
ANGER
Let us take anger first. Watson, the champion of the school of behaviourism, in his early study of the emotional behaviour of infants found three basic patterns of response. They are fear, anger, and love. The stimuli for fear were sudden loud sounds and the sudden loss of support; for anger, restraint of movement; and for
1 I dan ca... ...vyavahāranayamāśrityocyate.
Karma-grantha, I, p. 35.
