Some Jaina Canonical Sutras

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

Page 31

SOTRAKĄTANGA (SOYAGADAMGA)
17
people who do not well consider the nature of acts. He who intends to kill a living being, but does not do it by his bodily act, and he who unknowingly kills one, both are affected by that act. There are three ways of committing sins: by one's own action, by commission, and by approval of the deed. One reaches Nirrūna by the purity of heart. Some hold that the son of a person who is pure will become free from bad kurma on reaching beatitude. The world is boundless and eternal. In this world living beings suffer individually for their deeds. A learned or a virtuous man will be punished for his deed when he is given to actions of deceit. Men who are drowned in lust and addicted to pleasures will be deluded for want of control. One should exert and control oneself and follow the commandments proclaimed by the Arhats. Heroes of faith who do not commit sins, and exert themselves aright, who subdue anger and fear, will never kill living beings. A worthy and wise man should be careful in this world. He who has entered the road leading to the destruction of kurma, who controls his mind, speech, and body, who has given up his possessions and relations, should walk about subduing his senses. A sage bears pleasant and unpleasant things. He also bears three kinds of calamities arising from beasts, men and gods. He should not fear for his life. A wise man should not quarrel, should possess right conduct,
d should be guarded in his words and thoughts. He should adopt for his welfare the best and the highest law proclaimed in this world by the Jina. A person should look at beatitude as the end in view. Virtuous men regard pleasures as equal to diseases. The unhappy suffer again and again from delusion. When calamity befalls it man or the end of his life draws near, he must go. The wise believe that there is nothing to protect him. All living beings owe their present form of existence to their own kurma. The wicked suffering latent misery err about in the circle of births, subject to birth, old age and death. Misery is caused by oneself and not by others (Sayamkadam nannakadam (a dukkhamSūtk., 1.12.) One should not kill living beings in the three
taught makes men conscious of their responsibility for all their acts, mental, vocal or bodily. This doctrine has also awakened the consciousness that Halvation is not a gift of favour but an attainment within hunun possibility. In tho toachings of Mahāvīra kriyūrūdu is sharply distinguished froin akriyūrūda (doctrine of non-action), ajrinavāda (scepticisin) and vinayavāda (formalism), procisely as in the word of the Buddha. Buddhism has been promulgated as a form of kriyāvīda or karmavāda. In order to arrive at a correct understanding of the doctrinal significance of kriyū vida in Jainisin it is necessary not only to see how it has been distinguished from akriyāvuda, ajñinavāda and vinayavāda but also other types of kriyāvāda.