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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
108
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Atman and Mokşa
is solely determined, according to them, by their utility and serviceability to happiness in the present life. Pleasure and pain determine the goodness and badness of actions. An action was looked upon as good in so far as it helps to secure pleasure, and an action becomes evil and undesirable, if it led to pain and suffering. The Puruṣartha or the aim for an individual is the achievement of maximum physical happiness such as derived from eating delicious food or enjoying beautiful women. They preached the doctrine of enjoying the carnal pleasures without scruples. 'Ye drink and be merry' is their philosophy. Physical enjoyment is the highest happiness and physical pain like the pricking of thorn is the pain of hell according to them. The sufferings of this life is equivalent to the hell according to them; because they did not recognise any other paradise and hell. They were out and out hedonists. Whatever led to highest physical enjoyment was worthy of pursuit to them. They were unrefined hedonists. They did not recognise any other morality. S. Radhakrishnan describes their view as follows-"Virtue is a delusion and enjoyment is the only reality. Life is the end of life. There was a distrust in everything good, high, pure and compassionate. The theory stands for sensualism, selfishness and the gross affirmation of the loud will. There is no need to control passion and instinct, since they are nature's legacy to them. While the Upanisads prescribe resignation
For Private And Personal
1 Sāyaṇa Mādhava: Sarvadars' anasangraha, p. 6. कण्टकादिजन्यं दुःखमेव नरकः ।
