Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 1

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 270

THE JAINA VIEW OF GOOD AND EVIL
types is to be got rid of because of its relation to passions. Of course, even the soul which is free from passions is liable to bondage so long as it has not suspended all activity. But his bondage is momentary and got rid of automatically in the next moment. Such bondage is set down to the soul's coloration (lesya) which is an aftermath of passions. The Jaina philosopher regards activity (yoga)-physical, vocal and mental-as the preliminary condition of bondage which however derives its duration from the passions that accompany the activity. The coloration, being a mere aftermath of passion (and not passion itself), can condition only a momentary bondage devoid of any duration or, to be exact, possessed of only an apology for duration. To return to the point, the passions determine the intensity and duration of bondage. Now as the passions are evil in nature, their effects, viz. intensity and duration, should also be regarded as evil. But here the Jaina theory makes certain departures from the normal standard of the causal law. In the case of good bondage, both the intensity and duration are generally taken to vary inversely to the passions. But there are also cases of good bondage where the duration varies directly with the passions, e.g., all cases of good bondage except the human, heavenly and animal ayus (longevity). Similarly, though the duration of bondage is generally taken to increase only with the increase of passions and regarded evil', in the case of heavenly ayus (longevity), the duration of bondage increases with the diminution of passions, and is also regarded good.
The relation between bondage and passions being thus determined, we come to the important problem of precise determination of the conditions of good and bad bondage. That the evil bondage is due to passions is not a matter of opinion. But as regards the conditions of good bondage the commentators of Umāsvāti regard it as a byproduct of spiritual exertions, such as penance and self-mortification, but Acarya Kundakunda considers such bondage as the effect of the spiritual efforts hindered by the rise of passions. Acārya Kundakunda's position appears more precise and regardful of the demands of the causal law. The inverse ratio of variation between good bondage and passions compels further thinking on the issue. It might be plausible to establish a causal relation between the measure of soul's purity induced by spiritual exertion and the measure of good bondage consequent upon the activity (yoga) of the soul. But whatever be the solution, the fact remains that the good bondage has no direct relation
1. Vide Karmagrantha V, p. 51, lines 10-11.
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