________________
20
heaven have celebrated such befitting occasions. Uttaradhyayana (29/43) says that by the best vaiyavṛtya one becomes Tirthankara in future lives the highest
reward.
Joharimal Parekh
So it can safely be concluded that monks as well as house-holder both can render service and though the service of fellow religious house-holders by the former is a controversial topic yet by the latter quite permissible. Therefore, a Jaina should never shirk from this vaiyavṛtya - a pious action.
Thus for every one dose of inactivity (samyama) two doses of activity (Ahimsa and Tapa) have been prescribed by Jaina religion? And in this way, seen from whatever angle whether theological, philosophical, metaphysical or religious, Jainism is much more positive than negative.
Besides, to any serious student of Jaina Agamas, it would be quite obvious that Bhagavana Mahavira was a hard task master and meant business. He did not spare even the women, untouchables, youngsters, house-holders, etc, from religious excercise, only the under age and the old can take excuses of non-eligibility and disabilities. Consequently this is the most practical approach for him. Vyavahāra-naya (practical view point) is as much truth as Niścaya-naya (theoreti cal view point) is and at times according to him ends justify means. For example a person chased by his would be murderer, hides to my knowledge, even then on being asked the whereabouts of the hiden, I should plead ignorance before the follower because "sadabhyohitam satyam" is the amended version of truth for Jainas. Clearly this liberal, flexible and tolerant attitude would be redundant had the Jaina philosophy not believed in Pravriti, action and positivity. And inspite of this anekanta, if the charge of escapism, negativism and inactivity is labelled against Jainism, it will remain unproved like an earlier charge of heretictity ( Nästikatā). To mention in the end as in the beginning, Tilak, after perusing the manuscript of the book 'Jaina Karma Yoga' written by late Acārya Budhisāgara, opined as under, "Had I known that you are writing your Karma-yoga, I might not have written my karma-yoga". I think no better certificate or any other authority is needed to establish our case.
Reference
1. Thānanga 345, Bhagavati 30-1-1, Sütrakṛtänga 1.12/1.
2. Paggama Sajjhāya.
3. Sütrakṛtānga I. 12/4.
4. Ibid, I. 10/16.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
