Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 4

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 51

YOGA AND SOCIETY : THE JAIN VIEW*.
DR. GOKUL CHANDRA JAIN
Laini
Yoga According to Jainism
Jainism believes in two fundamental categories-living and non-livings The living is active. Its activity is three-fold viz. activity of the body, of the organ of speech and of the mind. This is called 'Yoga'. Every activity leaves behind, traces of after-effects in the physical and psychic forms. Every action, word or thought produces, besides visible, invisible and transcendent effects. It produces, under certain conditions, certain potential energies which forge the visible effects. These effects may be good or bad according to the activity. The bad or evil activity is called ‘aśubhayoga' and good activity is called 'subhayoga'.
Thus every activity, physical or mental, of every individual is 'yoga' and it effects the individual on one hand and society on the other. No doubt śubhā' or 'aśubha' or good or bad are relative terms and the same effect may be good for one and bad for others. But on the basis of empirical testimony, the Jaina thinkers have categorised the activities into good and bad.
Good activities develop the personality of an individual as well as of the Society.
According to Jainism every living being has its own individuality which he never loses and each individual can develop himself upto the stage of a Jina' i. e. the Supreme Yogin and can become the Siddha..
Jainism gives importance to the expert teachers as much as an intelligent patient gives to expert doctors, but at the same time Jainism does not accept any agent who gives guaranttee to remove all the problems if you surrender to him. To be more clear, Jainism does not believe in such a God who is the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of the would. No doubt Jainism believes in the philosphy of karma, rebirths, punya and pāpa, heaven and hell and so on and finally moksa.
Extract from a paper submitted to the First National Conference Op Yoga, Science and Society, held on December 4 7. 1979 at Banaras Hindu University.