________________
228 ]
The Path of Arhat : A Religious Democracy
then feeling ( Vedana ), then thirst ( Trşna ), then attachment (Upadana ), then becoming (Bhava ), then birth (Jati ) and then decay and death (Jara-Marana ). This way the whole process of Samsāra goes on.
Thus the root cause is Avidyā — ignorance out of which false desire springs.
According to Buddhism everything in this universe is impermanent and transitory. Buddhism believes in the existence of soul and also in rebirth. But according to it even the soul is not permanent. Here it differes from Jainism. It explains the theory of rebirth and transmigration by asserting that the process of cause and effect is so constant that it only ‘appears' that there is continuity. Fact of the matter, the Buddhists assert, is that the life is nothing but a series of manifestations of becomings and extinctions. It is a stream running from moment to moment just like a flow of a river, the water of which is never the same or like a burning flame which appears to be the same and unchanged but which is another every moment.
Third Arya-satya -- The third Arya-satya is that it is possible to overcome the suffering (Nirodha ). Here also the process of "conditioned origination or dependent origination' is invoked. The process is that conditioned by the suffering of decay and death (Jara-Marapa ), there arises Faith (Sraddha ) then Delight ( Pramoda ), then Joy (Prīti ), then Serenity (Praśrabdhi ), then Bliss (Sukha ), then State of trans ( Samadhi ), then Vision to see things as they are ( Yathabhūtijñāna-darśana ), then Non-attachment (Nirveda ), then Detachment ( Viraga ), then knowledge of destruction of inflow of karmas (Asrava-Kaşaya-Jñana). This is the process of Nirodha.
Fourth Arya-satya: Astanga-marga – The fourth Arya-satya is that there is a way to liberation from sufferings. This way is eight-fold, namely -
(1) Right view which is similar to Samyag-darśana of Jainas, (2) Right resolve, (3) Right speech, (4) Right
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
