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The Problems of Ethics and Karma
did was to adapt the doctrine of bhūtas to the animist ideas that they had inherited from a primitive past. Be that as it may, Bhagavarı does contain pieces of genuinely old Jaina speculation on the question of violence, speculation so old that it at times appeared rather enigmatic to the later generations,
Certaioly, the oldest Jaina authors had been arguing that acquisitiveness and violence are two basic moral vices which an ideal monk seeks to get rid of through a strict observance of the prescribed monastic code of discipline. In Bhagavatı too the dialogues dealing with the problems of monastic conduct either emphasise that an ideal monk seeks to overcome the spirit of acquisitiveness or that he seeks to avoid the occasions for violence. In view of what was already been said before regarding it nothing requires to be added so far as the question of violence is concerned. Then there remajn to be noted only the passages where it is laid down that an ideal monk strictly observes the monastic rules that have been prescribed in connection with the procurement of his daily requirements and the impression is unmistakable that it is thus that the monk conducts his fight against the spirit of acquisitiveness; at one place we are told so in 80 many words. Even so, the fight against the spirit of violence is deemed to be the major fight. This becomes evident even from the words usually employed to denote an ideal monk (they all tend to connote one up against violence); to take the major important examples, such words are samyrta, samyata, virata, pratyakhyanin. Of course, the words in question also tend to imply that the person denoted by them is free from all moral vices and the tendency is deliberate. For it was the crux of the old Jaina argument that violence is the spring of all moral vices so that one who is free from violence is free from all moral vices. At one placo Bhagavalt even says it in so many words that one who follows the prescribed monastic code of conducts, one who moves about cautiously (1.e. is vigilant against the occasions for violence) is free from anger, pride, deceit, and greed the four basic vices designated 'kaşāya' by the latter theoreticians, But the point is that Bhagayat does not deem it necessary to augment the list of basic vices by adding items other than violence (and acquisitiveness). Hence it is that one or two dialogues where note is taken of what the later Jainas call mülavratas or basic vows inust be of a relatively late origin.8 As a matter of fact there is something intriguing about the Bhagavatt treatment of these basic vows. As has been just noted, these are the subject proper of no more than one or two rather later dialogues. But there is a list of 18 moral vices which makes its appearance. - mechanically so to say - in all sorts of contexts. This list includes the five contraries of the basic vows, the kaşayas and the following nine vlces
