Tirthankar Mahavir and His Sarvodaya Tirth

Author(s): Hukamchand Bharilla, K C Lalwani
Publisher: Kundkund Kahan Digambar Jain Trust

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TIRTHANKARA MAHAVIRA AND HIS SARVODAYA TIRTHA
does not liberate it, virtue has been called a golden chain and vice an iron chain 38 In this context, Dr. Hiralal Jain writes:
"It is worthy of notice in this context that virtue and vice, both these inclinations lead to karma bondage Of course, of these two, the first type of bondage is favourable and pleasant for the soul to feel and the other one is unfavourable and unpleasant Hence the analogy of the two with fetters. The fetters of sin are made of iron, but the fetters of virtue are made of gold and hence are dear to put on The pious and sinful outcomes for the soul have also been called favourable and unfavourable. Both of these lead to wanderings through the world, no matter whether one takes the soul to a heaven and imparts to it pleasant experiences, or the other takes it to a hell to impart unpleasant experiences. Apart from these favourable and unfavourable outcomes is the pure state of the soul, and that pure state alone can free the soul from the karma bondage and lead to its liberation 39
Subjective influx, subjective bondage, subjective virtue and subjective vice-all these are the disturbing elements of the soul, and objective influx, objective bondage, objective virtue and objective vice-these are the transformation of matter (kārman varganā) Their total absence is liberation. So for the road to liberation, the place of these items is virtualy nil.
Doctrine of Check
The stopping of karma influx is asraya or the check 40 This also has two types, viz., subjective and objective. The pure attitude of the soul which checks karma influx is subjective check and the stoppage of karma influx itself is objective check 41 The doctrine of check is attained with the genesis of right faith Without the purification of the soul one does neither attain right faith nor can apply the check. The science of differentiation helps the purification of the soul, and with the purification of the soul passions like delusion, attachment, greed, etc., go
38 sovannı yam pı nıyalam bandhadı kalayasam pi jala putisam bandhadı eyam jīvam suhamasuham va kadam kammam
---Samayasara, Gatha, 146 39 Bharatīya Sahitya-me Jain Dharmka Yogdan, p 233 40 asravanırodhah samyarah, Tattyārtha Sutra, 9/1 41 Dravya Sangraha, Gatha, 34.