Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
“The are 84,00,000 perjods during which both fools and wise alike wandering in transmigration, shall at last make an end of pain. Though the wise should hope 'by this virtue or this performance of duty, or this penance or this righteousness, will I make the karma (i have inherited) that is not yet mature', and though the fool should hope, by some means, to get gradually rid of karma that has matured- neither of them can do it. Pleasure and pain cannot be altered in the course of transmigration, there can be neither increase nor decrease thereof, neither excess nor deficiency. Just is when a ball of string is cast forth, it will spread out just as far as and no farther them, it can unwind, just so, both the fools and the wise, transmigrating exactly for the allotted term, shall then, and only then, make an end of pain.":96
According to the doctrine propounded by the Ajivikas all beings are developed by Destiny (Niyati), chance (saugari) and nature (bhäva)97 as Buddhaghosa would have it for the term parimata means 'differentiated." The term bhāri implies srabhava, i.e. nature which has been exalted to the rank of Nirati. Jñanavimala thus says-some believe that the universe was produced by syabhāva, and that everything comes about hy svabhara only.999 Hoernle takes samigati to mean 'environment'10"; but the appropriate translation of the term should be 'lot' or 'chance. lol It is stated in the Sütrukrianga that picasure or pain is but the work chance, it is the lot assigned to them hy destiny".!0-G.C. Pande nicely represents it in the following -- "the process of sarısāra is like the unalterable working out of a coiled up necessity. Inasmuch as the process of samsāra is moving towards visuddhi or the end of misery, it may be considered an evolutionary process. As to the nature of the forces behind it we have the statement 'sahbe ...niwatisangati-bhāra-parimata ... Sukhu-luhklium patisan vedenti. According to Buddhaghosa's explanation we have here three co ordinate detern inants of experience, the first being destiny. His own explanatin, however, of the second suggests that it should be considered subordinate to the first. The third was, in all probability, regarded as at least the cause of the differential manifestation of Niyati. But if it was not the solc determinant of Niyati, it is clear that part of the Niyati-as operative must proceed from a source outside bhäva or the nature of things. Thus partly at least the governing necessary a sarisara appears to have a transcendental spring-board The vehement denial of the freedom of will and the non-mention of