Book Title: Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism
Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Previous | Next

Page 83
________________ 62 STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM ntasangraha and Bhagavatagita are of much use for us as the former fully agrees with Ajita's teachings of disintegration of body after death, denunciation of rebirth and inoperativeness of good and bad activities, while the latter with the Sūtrakyta nga's view that the sole aim of the Materialists is to enjoy life.” Among the Kriyavādins the Niganthanataputtiya samaņas and the Jațilas deserve attention. According to the Nigantha (Jaina) philosophy, the highest bliss can be attained only by eliminating the effects karmas (nirjara!, either good or bad, and by checking the influx of new karmas (samvara).4 The only means to this end, as the Nigapthas hold, is to perform rigorous ascetic practices. This is why the Niganthas lay utmost emphasis on self-control and self-torture. In support of the self-torture, the Nigapthas are referred to have argued with the Buddha in the following terms at one place in the Nika yass “Now, reverend Gotama, happiness is not to be achieved through happiness, happiness is to be achieved through pain. If, reverend Gotama, happiness were to be achieved through happiness, king Seniya Bimbisára of Magadha could achieve happiness, king Seniva Biinbisära of Magadha would be more of a dweller in happiness than the venerable Gotama". In fact, the argument is unquestionable and convincing. Self-restraint practised by the Jaina monks is, according to the Să mañiaphalasutta,6 fourfold (catuyama-samvara), namely, restraint as regards all (living) water, restraint as regards all evil, getting rid of all evil and being suffused with (self-restraint and) the sense of evil (or who has realised complete seif-restraint). According to another interpretation it simply represents the four main characteristics of a Taina recluse-(1) that he should be free from passion and desire: 1. lokāyatikapakşe tu tattvani bhūtacatustayam / prthivyāpastathā tejo väyurityeva näparan // . .. ...deha evātmā na tatoanyo vilaksnaḥ ihalokāta paro nānyaḥ svaigo sti narako na ca tapobhirupavāsādyairmūdha cva praśuşyati ||--Op. cit., pp. 5-6. 2. kāmopabhogaparama etāvaditi niścitāḥ--Op. cit., 16. 11. Cf. kam mavādino ete, bhikkhave, kiriyavādino-MV, 1. 30. 87, p. 76. 4. MN, Vol. I, p. 128. Ibid, p. 129. 6. idha, mahārāja, nigantho sabbavārivārito ca hoti, sabbavāriyutto ca, Babbavāridhuto ca, sabbavāriphuto ca. evam kho, mahārāja, nigantho cătuyāmasamvarasamvuto hoti...DN, Vol. I, p. 50.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306