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Positive Contents of Jainism
With all humility we bow to the above solution of the problem which has engaged the Pundits all over and all along. It is pity that an intelligent man Sankarācārya missed this analysis and took the extreme position of renunciation from all activity.
Again we owe to Jainism that 'Pramāda' has been put on a doctrinal plane. 14 According to them Pramāda is an independent cause of bondage and even if present singularly all alone is sufficient enough to attract the Kārmic matter in the soul region — the remaining four agents of bondage, viz., Mithyātva, Avirati, Kaşāya and Yoga need not to be present. Pramāda is a special term of Jaina vocabulary and has been defined (rather illustrated or classified) by Thānanga : "Chavvihepamāye pannatte-majja, nida, vipaya kaşāya juta padilehanā." (502) but that seems to be an inclusive and not an exclusive definition of the term. Though the full and comprehensive meaning of this word can be a subject matter of research but to say suffice is for our purpose to say that it clearly includes the following - carelessness, lethargy, inactivity, laziness, unalertness, non-vigilance, in-attentiveness, sleeping, slowness, non-utilisation of spiritual faculties and bodily talents, mental passiveness, wastage or killing of time, notion of carefree enjoyment of worldly pleasures (Mauja ) etc, etc. and we should be away from all these.
The above stand vis-a-vis activity finds full support in the following:
"It is better that people, who are irreligious propogate irreligion, not followers of religion, dislike it, interested and engrossed in non-religion, acting irrelegiously and earning their livelihood by such acts, remain asleep, weak and lazy, whereas, for those persons who are religious; follower of it, aspirer of it, propounder of it, interested and engrossed in it, actively religious and earn their livelihood by religious means, it is better that they remain awake strong and active. Because by remaining so they contribute towards the removal of pains, sorrows, sadness ( distress ), tears, troubles, unhappiness and suffering, etc. of many a beings, engage themselves or others or both in various religious plans and programmes, by remaining religiously awoke, they keep their selves always alert and by remaining active they employ themselves in serving preceptors, teachers, old and seniors and learned austeres, sick, teachers, families, groups, society and co-religious beings. *15
'Perseverant person, should prefer activity and not remain inactive, with true perception, the wise should persue the difficult path of religion.*16
"By self sublimation one removes himself away from bad occupations and
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