Jainism And Its History

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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bodily level it is bound and dependent, but at the conscious level it is independent and free.
In the language of psychology, on the one hand it is governed by Id and on the other; it is influenced by Super Ego. Id or Ego is an effort for the expression of the bodily needs or desires and the Super Ego is its spiritual nature, its basic nature that expects a conscientious unity and equality without any conflicts and disturbances. It is impossible for a human being to completely ignore one or the other. And the success of his life lies in creating a balance between the two. Human's present identity consists of these two ends; and the life-stream touches both these and runs in between them. And because of these two aspects of human existence, in the field of religion too these two streams originated: the Vedic and the Sramanic.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS FOR ORIGIN OF ŚRAMAŅICTRADITION
Bodily evolution or growth gives birth to desires and instincts and rational growth to conscience. Ignited desires expect to be satisfied by their respective objects of enjoyment and pure conscience expects self-control and detachment for its existence. Conscience with attachments is unable to take the right decision. In fact, desires live on their objects and conscience on detachment from objects. It is here, that the two different perspectives of life develop simultaneously. The basis of one is desires and their satisfaction and of the other is conscience and self-control or detachment.
In Śramana tradition the former is described as wrong views (Mithyādrasti) and the latter as right views (Samyagdrasti). In the Upanisadas they are called the paths of
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