Mahavira His Life and Teachings

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Luzac and Co UK

Page 81

74 MAHĀVĪRA : HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS that of the sceptic, from both of which Mahāvīra recoiled.
2 Kriyāvāda.--Jainism was launched forth by its founder as a Krzyāvāda,' which, according to the Pālı Nikāya usage, is the same term as Karmavāda or doctrine of action The Pāli Nikāyas refer to an ancient householder teacher of India as the first expounder of the doctrine of action? The Jaina Sūtrakrtănga, too, speaks of other types of Kryāvāda then current in India. Buddhism, too, was promulgated as a form of Kriyāvāda or Karmavāda. Further in the teaching of Mahāvīra, Kriyāvāda of Jainism is sharply distinguished from akriyāvāda (doctrine of nonaction), ajñānavāda (scepticism), and vinayavāda (formalism), precisely as in the word of the Buddha, kriyāvāda of Buddhism is distinguished from satkāyadrsti involving various types of akriyā, vicikıtsā (scepticism), and silarratu-parāmarśa (formalism) * Thus to arrive at a correct understanding of the doctrinal significance of kriyāvāda of Jainism it is necessary not only to see how it has been distinguished from akriyāvāda, ajñāna
1 Sūtrakrtānga, I, 12 21 * Majjhima-N ,I, P 483
Sūtrakrtānga, I, 6 27 ; I, 10 17 4 Khuddakapātha, P 5