________________
498
A SOURCB-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY attain mokşa. The soul can be purified by penance and meditation etc., as the ore of the gold has to be purified through various processes, like-beating etc. But the Jainas have not given only exclusive importance to the jñānamärga as is done in the case of Sähkhya, Vedānta and Mahāyāna Buddhism, nor it does emphasise exclusively the kriyākända, the pathway through activity and ritualism, as is emphasised by the Parvamimārsā, But the Jainas say that jñāna and kriyā (căritra) are both necessary for the mokşamārga. There should be a synthesis of both these. Jñana with caritra would be necessary. Even if the Jñana were less, but căritra were to be emp basised, then it would be a way to mokşa. But knowledge without caritra, however great it may be, will not lead to the highest end of perfection. Acārya Bhadrabāhu says that knowledge without good conduct may be compared to a donkey carrying sandle wood.
The Jainas contend that the pathway to perfection lies in the synthesis and the harmony of the triple path of right intuition, right knowledge and right conduct. In the āgamas, we find that the pathway to perfection is through sinyagjñāna, samyagdargana, samyagcaritra and tapas. There are only terminological differences in the expression regarding the pathway to perfection. The perfection and the general contention is that right knowledge, right intuition and right conduct would be necessary as mokşamārga.
Gautama, the Buddha, gave importance to the stoppage of karmic bondage (sarvara) as the first step to Nirvāna. Jaiq is also give importance to samvara. Acārya Hemacandra says that just as a house with many windows and doors kept open attracts dust from all the directions, so also activities of the jira bring about karmic
1 2 3 4 5 6
Avaiyakaniryukti, gāthā 94 Avašyakaniryukti, gathā 99. Avašyakaniryukti, gāthā 100 (a) Tattvärthasūtra. 1 (b) Āvasyakaniryukti, gāthā 103. Uttarādhyayana 28/2-3. Tattvārtha 1, 4. Sarvărthasiddhi
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
