Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 648

Sec. III
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
623
The BhS explains that the relativity of goodness and badness depends on the circumstances, i.e. the aspects of substance, space, time and state (mental approach of a person). For example, sleepness and sleeplessness are good from different aspects and conditions in the case of different persons, because a saintly man will perform more meritorious acts by his sleeplessness, while an unsaintly person will avoid the sinful acts by his sleepness. So ethics is not absolute according to this moral precept embodied herein.
The principle of ethics as laid down in the Bhs commences with non-injury to the individual and social life, for the virtue of non-violence arises out of self-preservation of socially inter-related men. This maxim of prohibitive mode of life leads one to detachment and higher interest, self-sacrifice and peace.
The Bhs reveals two aspects of ethics, viz. negative and positive ; the negative side consists of non injury, non-telling lie, non-stealing, non-sexual union and non-possession which form the core of morality in Jainism. So long one does not intend to do the act of violence it is positive virtue from the individual, social and spiritual aspects of his life. It is the general maxim that the sinful acts affect the formless soul by their ripe bad fruits, while the meritorious acts are followed by the auspicious results as a natural order of things.
It is to be observed that the BhS preaches the ethics of war to be fought dispassionately for a righteous cause in self-defence, when the liberty and sovereignty of a state are threatened by the attack of a foreign power, as it is evidenced by the fact of the dispassionate fighting of Varuņa, a citizen of Vaišāli in the Rathmusala-Sangrāna against the forces of king Kūņika of Magadha at the call of his republican state.
The BhS advocates that the control of senses is the positive virtue which inculcates in one's spirit an ideal to follow the path of spiritualism, for his detachment to the worldly objects leads him to avoid warfare and seek liberation and supreme bliss. So one should retrace his step (pratikramana) from the sinful acts,