________________
were intended to prescribe giving up of all kinds of - auspicious as well as inauspicious - activities the fourth part of the aforesaid verse would have read 'savvatthesu savvaso' and not ‘asubhatthesu savvaso'.
The self-controls are three - mind control (mana gupti), speech control (vacana gupti) and body control (kāya gupti). In observing these it is expected that the spiritual aspirant would restrict himself from the inauspicious mental, vocal and physical activities. Engaging in auspicious and meritorious activities such as scriptural study, contemplation and meditation etc., have not been restricted. Importance of Auspicious Activities such as Mercy, Charity, etc., -
The question arises as to why a spiritual aspirant should pursue activities like mercy, kindness, compassion, charity, service, affection, spreading the gospel etc., when activities result in karmic influx, karmic bondage and consequent worldly transmigration?
In reply we would have to say that to believe that all activities result in karmic influx, karmic bondage and consequent worldly transmigration and that all inactivity results in liberation is not correct. Bondage and liberation depend on the coming into being, presence and activity of the passions. Any activity or inactivity that is passionate is a cause for the coming into being of the passions and consequent karmic bondage. On the other hand the activity or inactivity that reduces or destroys passions is the cause for liberation. The meritorious auspicious activities result in such reduction of passions and, therefore, result in karmic stoppage, karmic destruction, karmic separation and liberation.
Through charity one reduces attachment towards one's possessions and greed-passion becomes leaner. Mercy, kindness and compassion result in a feeling of friendship and the pride melts. The feeling of affection and friendship can arise only when delusion or attachmentaversion gets reduced. Anyone with strong delusive attachment will care only about oneself and one's relatives. He cannot feel others' pain or misery. He cannot be sensitive or sympathetic to such painfully miserable people or creatures. The feeling of affection just does not
138
Positive Non-Violence
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
