________________
14
the effects of karmas or sinful deeds committed in former existences, and also of not giving effect to new karmas.
Mahāvīra declared : “There are 0 ! Nirgranathas, some sinful deeds and acts you have committed in the past, which you must wear out now by this acute form of austerity. Now that you will be living restrained here in regard to your acts, speech and thoughts, it will work as the non-doing of karmas for future. Thus by the exhaustion of the force of past deeds throuh penance and the non-accumulation of new acts, (you are assured) of the stoppage of the future course of rebirth, from such stoppage, of the destruction of the effect of karmas, from that, of the destruction of pain, from that of the destruction of mental feelings, and from that of the complete wearing out of all kinds of pain.” And there follows, as a result, the non-gliding of the self in the course of Saṁsāra in future.
This is what is reproduced from the Jaina Sutras in the Majjhima Nikāya, and the historical importance of this Buddhist statement of Mahävira's ideals is that it points to a very early formulation of the main ideas of Jainism. Its importance lies also in the fact that it sets forth the entire chain of reasoning by which the terms of the Jaina thought were interlinked the sequence ending in Mokşa. It serves also to unveil the plan of thought in which the chain of reasoning was sought to be developed by arranging the terms broadly under two heads - positive and negative.
Salvation was assured to all without distinction of caste, creed or sex.
Mahāvīra lay great emphasis upon chastity - both sexual and moral. It was a virtue, he declared, alike for individuals and nations to develop.
The Syādvāda is a doctrine forming for basis of Jaina metaphysics and dialectics. It was formulated as a scheme of thought in which there is room for consideration of all points of view, and of all ideals. This was brought forward at a most critical
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
