Jainism Some Essays

Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Jainism
of sinful activities and is the extended form of five major vows. Everything is achieved if equipoise is achieved. Life is nothing without it. This is how the foundation of Jain ethics is laid by equipoise.
Circumspection (apramāda)
On the basis of total spritual identity with others, it has been decided that injury to any living being for selfish ends is not good conduct. But according to Jain philosophy, the whole universe abounds in living organisms, and even the exhalation and inhalation of breath without which life is difficult can afflict the other living organisms. Under these circumstances, how it is possible to lead a life of non-injury? How can equanimity be achieved ? By way of removing these doubts, it has been stated :
जयं चरे, जयं चिठे, जयमासे, जयं सए । जयं भुजतो, भासंतो, पावकम्म न बंधई ।।
- Dasaveālia 4.8. Which means that one, who behaves with carefulness, does not incur sin. The other words for carefulness are caution, vigilence, circumspection. It has been frequently said in the Ācāranga that carelessness is injury and vigilence is non-injury. There was no remedy available other than this to ensure noninjury. Therefore, complete caution, carefulness, awareness, zest for noninjury — all these taken together constitute total circumspection. It was believed that you are observing the principle of non-injury if you behave with carefulness and no intention to do harm and even than you unwittingly inflict injury to other beings. Thus, circumspection also got a place along with total spiritual identity in the formulation of ideal code of ethics. Thus, the conduct of a being of constant awareness who is also enriched with total spiritual identity with other beings came to be considered as a model. Preponderence of the cessation of activity.
Thus, equipoise or equanimity being at the root of good conduct in general, it was considered necessary to lead a life according as the principle of non-injury is fully observed and maintained. To limit the area of activities was considered the easiest way for a life of non-injury. It is but natural that the idea of delimiting the field of activity or of designing the pattern of life so as to make it more accommodative to cessation of activities became predominent as the framing of the rules of conduct for the monks was done keeping the concept of narrowing the field of activity in the forefront. The whole formulary of the rules for the monks was modelled in the initial stage from this angle as is testified by such canonical works as the Ācāranga. But this is only one of the aspects of the life of non-injury and generally the attention of all is directed to that. This has given rise to an erroneus belief that Jaina religion is the religion advocating the theory of