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A comparative study of Jainism and Buddhism (1932) -Karl Ludvig Reichelt, 1932 - Complete Book

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Ahimsa 241 (7) Sammurchdtanag^owahyitsdf through earth etc as grass, etc. (9) “ Some Sayings of the Buddha*' Woodward. Page 68 In rainy season recluses tread down the green grass, they crush the living thing that has one sense, they trample to death many a tiny life, I enjoin on you, brethren, that ye observe the retreat during the rams Win Pit. Mah&vagga III. I } (10) Manuscnpt remains of B. Lit. tn Easton Turkestan, by Hoemle — Page 4 Vinaya texts. ** Sampraj&nena ganiavyam Iryd-patha sampan- nena susamvritten yugantara prekstnd sa gaimevena.’* “The monk should walk through discrimination, seeing ground four cubits forward with control of mmd and vnth respectability “ (11) "The Doctrine of the Buddha" George Grimm,' P. d39. "Inflamed by desire, evil>disposed by hate, confused by delusion, overcome, entirely influ> enced internally, O Brahmin, we think of hurting ourselves, we think of hurting others, we think of hurting both ourselves and others, and feel mental pain and gnef. But if we have abandoned desire, then we do not think any more of hurting ours^ves, nor of hurting others, nor of hurting both ourselves and others, and we do not feel mental pain jand gnef. Thus, O Brahmin, NibbSna is visible and present, inviting to cpme and see, leading to the goal, intelligible to the wise, each for himself'’ (M. I. p. 303 A. Ill p. 55), 81 242 Jaikism and Buddhism Page 434 F. Note. “ What is sinful in the taking of food lies in this, that other life is destro}ed, and thereby suffering is caused in the world Since animal life IS more highly organized and much more sensible to pain than plant life, the good man will in no case, eithei directly or indirectly, be the cause of the killing of animals for his food. In consequence of this, he will not eat the flesh of any animal in any case where he has seen or heard or supposes that it has been killed for his sake. “There are three cases, Jivalm, where I say that meat shall not be accepted ; Seen, heard and supposed. I. p. 369). For the same reason, no one may offer the Perfected One or his disciples, the flesh of an animal killed for this purpose. “ Whoever, Jivaka, takes life for the sake of the Perfected One, incuts flve'fold serious guilt< Because he commands * Go and fetch that animal ' ' thereby the first time he incurs serious guilt Because then the animal, led to him in fear and trembling, ejcpenences pain and torment, he for the second time incurs serious guilt. Because he then says ' Go and kill this animal,' he for the thutl time incurs serious guilt. Because the animal then in death, expenences pain and torment, he ior the fourth time mcurs serious guilt. Because he then gives unfitting refreshment to the Per- fected One or the Perfected One’s disciple, he for the fifth time incurs senous guilt ’’ (M. I 369) 469. As a mother protects her only child with her owm life, cultivate such boundless love towards all beings. (Metta E'itta S. N.) Ahimsa 243 (12) Sutta Ntpate Dhammaka Siita. P^am na hdne na cha ghdtayeyya na dtdnumanyd hanatam paresani, Savvan hhdUsu- nidhdya dantbttn ye thSvari ye dta tasatnti ISke. Neither one should injure the creatures, nor induce ^chers to do so, nor should be pleased when others injure them, one should have compasaon on all the beings in the universe, whether thej may be immobile or mobile. Note. In the Jam literature one-sensed beings are called stJidvam. They are euth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, vegetable-bodied; while beings from the two-sensed to the five-sensed are called tnisir. (13) Uajjldm NUtiya Vattkupama Sutta 71, iiiir arHIr^ hftam aehcMum udahe dgamma pari suddum hcH imi- yoddnam. .evatueva bhMhu evam silS evamdiummo evam pegno sdlitum chtdi pinda-pitam 244 jAiKisM AKD Buddhism bhmjati vlchiia kdUkam an^ myam aneka- vyatijaimm naiva, yi assatanfhott aiUardya “0 Monks 1 Just as a dirty doth is cleansed by pore water, so eating aim of nee makes him chaste, pious aitd Intelligent ;< this the monk knows , leaving this, he does not accept many kinds of sauces and 8weet'< meals — , for they will be obstnicting.” (14) Sacred Books of the East Vol. XI (1881) by Max Muller p. 189. The Tevigga Sutta Ch. n Kdla stiam. " He abstains from destroying life. ^ Fall of modest}' and pity, he is compassionate and kind to all creatures that have life. He refrains from injuring any hferb or any creature. He takes bat one meal a day , abstaining from food at night time or at the wrong time,” Page 192 The Maggbirtia Silam. ” He lives on food provided by the faithful, teftains from injuring plants or animals,” (15) Sutta mpkiai translated bj' Fansboll (1881) Mhhdvagga 11 NAlaka Sutta, p. 128. 27/705- **As 1 am, so ate these, as these are so am I, identifying himself with others, let hiln not kill nor cause ^ny ond to kiB.” (16) “ Path of Purity ” by Bndftha Ghdsha I-& H* Page 79. ' Diseases caused b) eating do not harm the monk who it oncfi sitting eats hts food,’ Ahimsa 245 (17) Sacred Books of the East 1^* Max Muller. Vol. XLIX Buddhist Mah&yana. Page 121 (6S) ” To kill a helpless vu^m through a wish for future reward, — ^it would be an nnseeml} action for a tnerciful’hearted good man, even if the reward of the sacrifice were eternal; but what if, after all, it ts subject to deca} ?" (67) “ Even that happiness which comes to a man, while he staj-s in this worid, through the injury of another, is hateful to the wise compassionate heart; how much more if it be something bejiond our sight in another life ?” Note* From the statements given above, it wiU be known that ahinusa has been correctly descnbed in the Buddhist Scriptures. We shall see later on that this description quite agrees with what is g emu the Jam literature. FLESH-EATING. It appears in the present time that flesh-eating is much prevalent among the Buddhists. If I indepen- dently think of Its cause, it appears to me that the old Poll books wrete first compiled m Ceylon m the 1st century, as is wntten in the introduction to Buddha Charytti *' In the first century A D. at Cejlon, Sutra, Vinaya and Abhidhamma, which till that tune were learnt by heart onlj', were at first wntten. This ts the Tnpibdcat” 246 Jmnism and Buddhism I did not hnd in these Pali books the quotations explicitly prohibiting the taking of flesh ' “ The Life of the Buddha ” by Edward I Thomas, 1927. On page 129 there is the following statement — As meat'Cating was made an ethical question, the ritual aspect ceased to have a meaning for the Buddhist. Hence the practice was not in itself condemned, but only in so far as the partaker was in some way contri* butory to killing or giving pain This position is stated most clearly in the Sartff (M N I 368) Jivaka* told Buddha that he had heard that people killed living things intending them for Buddha, and that he ate the meat prepared on that account He asked if such persons were truth-speakers and did not accuse the Lord falsely Buddha replied that it was not true, but that in three cases meat must not be eaten if it has been seen, heard, or suspected that it was intended for the person. If a monk who practises the brahma-vihaia of love accepts an invitation in a village, he does not think, “venly this house-holder is providing me with excellent food , may he provide me with excellent food in the future ’’ He eats the food without being fettered and infatuated " What do you think, Jivaka, does the monk atiihat time think of injury to himself, to others, or to both’" “Certainly not. Lord" "Does not a * The lemous pbTSieian of Bimlnsara sod A]atasattii AHtMbV 247 monk at that tune take blameless food ’*’ “ Even so Lord ” The teaching is the same in the Vinaj’a, where Buddha is said to have accepted a meal from the Jam general Stha, who had provided meat The report went about that he had killed an o\ for Buddha, but the bict was that he had sent for the meat already killed in order to furnish the meal. The Vinaja forbids certain kinds of flesh, human, that of elephants, horses, dogs and certain w ild animals. (F. N. Vina} a 1. 218-237 ,‘ Mttcchamonnsa is expresslj allowed , This is usuall} taken to mean ' flesh of fish.' Pall books state in one or two places that Goutama Buddha ate flesh — ^\Vhether this was true or not is to be properly considered Buddha Charya P 148 M N 8. 1. 2. 2 Siha 5ilt< ** It appears that Jain Commander-in-Cbief Siba 'f Vaisali served meat to Goutama Buddha ” Note It seems to me quite impossible that a Jam minister or King could have served Buddha with meat. Neither it seems to be possible that the compassionate Buddha who preached for the protection of immobile and mobile beings would have accepted flesh More* over he was so kind that he did not eat even at night and prohibited his disaples from taking food at night. Buddha Charya Page 433. Chulla Vagga 7 24R Jainism and Buddhism Devadatta Vidroha. This Sutta tells that Devadatta told Buddha, He only, )Kho does not accept fish and flesh' for the whole life, should be received in the Order ’* ; then Goutama said, “ I have ordered for the pure flesh which is not seen, nor heard, nor supposed to be prepared.” Nate. How far this statement is correct, Is to be considered. Buddha Charya P. 535 Mahapannibbana Sutta D. N. 2 , 3. In this Sutta it !s said that In the last part of his life Goutama Buddha had taken Sahara maddava from the smith Here this italiciSed word is trans- lated by some as flesh of pig and by some as soft nee cooked with milk. So much IS the statement about flesh m Buddha Charya, Sacred Books of the East Vol. Ill by Rh 3 ?s Davids D. N P. 1 1. 1910 at Page 110 At Veswli. he (Buddha) had iimshed eating the nee. Page 138.