________________
240
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
to oneself or to someone else act as cause-of-bondage for the asātāvedanīya karma, then acts like plucking of hair, fasting, observing the vows and the similar regulations too, since they prove to be a cause of pain, ought to act as cause-of-bondage for the asātāvedanīya karma. And if that be so then why not a renunciation of those regulations like vows etc.-rather than a performance of them—be deemed proper ?
Answer: The above features pain etc. act as cause-ofbondage only when they are produced under the impact of an impulse like anger etc. not they as such-that is, not they merely as a cause of pain. For a true world-renouncer or ascetic a performance of even the harshest vows and regulations does not cause a bondage of the asātāvedaniya karma. That is due to two reasons. Firstly, however harsh be the vows whose observance causes suffering to a true world-renouncer he suffers this pain not as impelled by anger or any such evil motive but as inpelled by a noble tendency of conduct and noble understanding. He observes harsh vows but however painful contingencies might arise in this connection since they are not accompanied by passions like anger, distress etc. they do not prove to be a causeof-bondage for him. The second reason is that it frequently happens that those world-renouncers rather experience real joy at the time of observing the harshest vows and regulations; so in such cases there arises no question of the personages concerned suffering pain, sorrow etc. It is well known that there is no hard and fast rule that a contingency which causes pain to one must necessarily cause pain to others as well. Hence since in the case of the personages in question the observation of those vows and regulations imparts a feeling of mental joy this observation in their case is of the form of pleasure rather than pain. Just as a kind physician, even when through his act of surgery he causes pain to someone else, does not prove guilty of sin because he is impelled by a feeling of compassion, similarly the world-renouncer too, since with a view to removing the worldly pain he gladly resorts to means appropriate for this removal, does not bind down evil karmas because of his noble tendencies of conduct. 12.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
