________________
232
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
THE BUDDHIST CONCEPTION OF THE MUKTI-STHANA
The Buddhists maintain that nothing is permanent. Everything is transitory and in flux. In the state of rebirth, there is no perma. nent self that emerges from the earlier birth to the next birth. It is only the psychic continuity of vijñāṇa that projects itself into the next line. Just as a snow ball goes on accumulating, particles of snow in its movement, but it is not one substance, so also the vijñāna the psychic energy, loaded with its samskāra the anamic mass projects itself into the next life i. e., rebirth. Therefore, there is no permanent
self that is reborn.
The king Milinda asked to Nagasena: which of the states of life prior to Nirvana are nearer to the state of Nirvana? Acārya said that there is no analogy to explain the state of Nirvanṇa. We cannot say that in the state of Nirvana, the soul goes and settles in a sthāna.
King Milinda asked: "just as there are pearls in the sea, fragrance in the flower and the grains in the field, so also there must be a place for Nirvana which is permanent." Nag-isena replied: There is no state analogous to these which can be called Nirvana, in which we can say the self goes to settle there. However, the state of Nirvana is real. Nirvana is not something external. We have to realise the state of Nirvana in the purity of mind. Just as through the friction of two pieces of metal fire is created so also the Nirvana is a state of experience of the purtty of mind. We cannot say that there was first the fire or first the friction and then the fire. Similarly, we cannot distinguish between the state of Nirvana and the purity of experience.
The king said: We may accept the view that there is no special state of Nirvana. However, there must be some state from which a pudgala experiences the state of Nirvāṇa. The Acarya replied: Pudgala (the continuing self) is rooted in the Sila (righteousness), and can experience the state of Nirvana from any point of space. Therefore Nirvāņa is the realisation from the purity of the mind.1
1 Milindaprasna 4. 8. 62-64.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
