English
" The bliss in nirvana is independent, unobstructed, aboTc sense gratification, eternal, sprung up on the destruction of the destructhe Karmas " 242 The above quotations with reference to nir^ina from the Jain scriptures, will clearly show, that the des- cription of ninAna is similar in the Jain and Buddhist . .scriptures Nirvana, Moksha or Liberation 37 The Buddhistic literature describes ninana as enlightenment, eternal, immortal, peaceful, blissful, unshakeable, devoid of birth and death, out of mind and speech, free from Asav&s, free from craving unattached, defectless, painless, pure, independent, non* material, birthless, the highest condition, island, best, deep, realizable by the vise etc The same attnbutes are applied to nirvftna in the Jain literature also All defects, delusion and ignorance found in mundane life are completel} destrojed. Onl> the indestructible nature shines out From the philoso* phical point of view the nirvana of both the systems IS tile same In the Jain scriptures it is further said that the liberated and perfect souls go upward and stay on the top of the universe etemall} and their extent is a little less than that of the last bod) in the meditative posture This statement has not been found by me in the Buddhistic literature But the real inherent nature of nirv&na in both the svstems appears to be the same without an) difference whatso* ever. CHAPTER II EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL Although the Buddhistic literature does not contain an explicit description of the soul, still, if it is minutely searched, it will be found to contain enough to show that the Buddhistic conception of the nature of the soul IS the same as is descnbed in the Jain literature We have shown in the preceeding Chapter that the mihdna of the Buddhists is not annihilation, not total non-existing, but it is something positive. When it IS something, the next poult to decide is whether it IS matter without consciousness or something possessed of inherent consciousness. 'It cannot be 'matter; it is not a matenal substance devoid of consciousness because nirv&na is attainable only by one who has right enligb* tenment, through Ptajna, self analysis, or self discern* ment. It must therefore be a conscious substance Rupa (form), •tanjna fsensation), vedema (feeling), samskdra (contact) and vijndna (impure consciousness) are the causes of mundane wanderings. When these causes are all destroyed, what remains is nothing else than the pure Self or the Soul Whatever qualifications of the pure soul are mentioned in the Jain Scriptures, are the same as are in the Buddhist scriptures attn* buted to the state of nirv&na Nirvina is synonymous, identical with the pure soul. As in the Buddhist Existence or the Soul 39 literature so in the Jam scriptures also, it is said that in respect of the attainment of nirvana, or the ultimate punQ’ of the soul argument cannot find it, mind cannot reach it, speech cannot describe it The pure soul is only realizable b} the Self In *'Samddht Sataka" the Jain author Fuji's pada Snami sa}’s — ^ II II Yatparath pratipddydham yat pardn prattpadayc, Vnmatta chestittm tanmi yadaham titrvtkaipalah “ The notion that, “ 1 can be knoun by the othei;^ " or that “ I shall make it known to others " is the utter* mg of a mad man like me, because ' I ’ am beyond thinking (I am onl} realizable b> myself)" In the Jain literature, the description of the soul is gi\en in a direct manner. In the Buddhist literature though no direct mention of the soul is found, it is desenbed m an indirect ua}, in the enunciation of Nirvana In the Jam Literature also indirect mention of the soul has been made in many places The same author Pujjapada Swamisajs elsewhere m “SumddAi Pataka ” thus tnjtRiT ?rjRr ii it Sffrremfnydin sayyamyastimitcndntardtmatid, Yatktanampasyatdbhdti iaUattvam paramdtrranah 40 Jainism and Buddhism “ After having brought under control all the senses, and after a steady internal insight, whatever is then realized is the true nature of the pure soul" This worldly being grasps different objects through the five senses and the mind, and is plunged in delusion, lust and hate and is therefore always away from its ovvn Self. If he restrains himself from attaiding to these SIX organs, then what is realizable within, is nothing but the pure soul or the nirvana. Take the case of a man living in a house with six windows He always looks outside through one or more of those windows, but never looks within. If he would divert his attention away from the windows, and look inside he would see all that IS within. In the same way when one becomes non-attached to the six organs and attends within, he finds his own Nirv&na or the pure soul within himself. In the Buddhistic Literature, such indirect descnption is made with the, purpose of diverting attention from the Non-self to the Self. There, one is asked to relinquish all the causes of dsavds, i e. impure thought activities, to get rid -of delusion, lost and hate, to follow full chastity, to practise perfect concentration, to have perfect equanimity, to be totally non-attached, and to have perfect meditation. He is asked to have no attachment to transitory conditions which rise and fall. To'be non-attached to all the flittenng objects, is to be absorbed in (file’s own Self. I shall show by quotations from Buddhist Literature, Existence of the Soul 41 bow one has been advised to be non-attached to the other, the non-self, and to be bent pn reaching the goal of Nirv&na. Another fact which appears in the Buddhist Litera- ture is that It has not taken up the subtle questions of metaphysics, which stand on the basis of intellect or argument, and has avoided all controversial points. It has mostly dealt with matters, that may be easily understood by the ordinary public, so that they may easily understand, and try to walk on the Path. It has mostly described four things ; (1) What is pain ? (2) What IS the cause of pain ? (3) What is cessation of pain ? (4) What is the means of cessation of pain ? The utility of such description is this that the student is saved the difficulty of discussing different views of different systems of philosophy, and easily engage himself in following the path, with the result that he reaches the same goal, which would have been reached also through subtle metaphysics. On giving deep thought, he gradually understands the subtle philosophy also We shall take some examples from Buddhist Literature Patthapada Siitta of DtgJta Ntkdya. 7 : 9. ' The translation and purport of \Nhich has been given in the Hindi book “ Buddhacharya ” see^-pag^ 189 to 199 Patthapada asked the following questions of Gautam Buddha (1) Is the universe indestructible ? B 42 Jainism and Buddhism (2) Is the universe destructible? (3) Is the universe finite ? (4) Is the universe infinite ? (5) Is the soul same as the body? (6) Is the soul another, and the body another? (7) Is Tathagata born again after death ? (8) Is Tathagata not born after death ? Buddha replied that these questions were not to be discussed Gautama says in these words, “Patthap&da, they are not useful; they do not lead to virtue; they are not causes of chastity, or self-absorption, nor do the}* bnng non-attachment, nor cessation of miseries, nor they lead to Nirvftna; and therefore I do not descnbe them” Again Patthap&da asks . '* What has the Lord Buddha described.” Then Buddha says, “Patthapida It is misery which I have descnbed; the cause of misery, ' the cessation of misery, the means of the cessation of misery ; this I have described. Patthapftda, this is useful, leading to Virtue, procuring chastity or self- absorption, bringing non-attachment, cahsing cessation of pam, leading to passionlesyness, providing knowledge, making intellectual, and leading to nirv&na , therefore I have descnbed ” Although, Jain Literature has given a \eiy fine description of the substances, still it > is said that the description is of three kinds Heya, avoidable, Vpadeya, adoptable, Jneya, knowable Out of these three, he who is desirous of liberation, should pay his deep attention first to the former two. He .should know what are the causes of misery, and what lengthens Existence of the Soul 43 ATorldly wandenngs, and then after having understood them properly and without vacillation try to avoid those causes , and he should also know the means which bring destruction of mundane conditions and lead to mrodna and after having understood them properly and assuredly try to adopt those rules The knowables, he may try to know according to his common sense and intellect If any subtle matters are not capable of being grasped his understanding, he should not be sorry or uneasy on that account. Necessary it is to know the avoidable and the adoptable as Saint N&gasena says in his " Tattvanusdsaiia ” ^ ii si ii ^ 5^ II ^ II ^ II ^ II Tapafrayopa tapUbhyo BItavyebyah stva sannane Tattvam lieyamSpad^yamH dvedhabhyadliadasau 3 Bandho mbandhanam cJidsya heyamttvnpa darsttam, Heyamsyaddtdika sukimyor yasmadbijamidam dvayrrni 4 Mobsastatkdranam chatta dtipadiya muddhntam, Vpadeyam sukhatn yasmddasimddvtrbhavisyatt 5 " In order that the deserved ones uho arc afflicted 44 Jainism and Buddhism with the three afflictions -of birth, decay and death, may attain the bliss of Ntrvana the principles to be observed are said to be of two kinds, avoidable and adoptable ’* 3. “ Bondage and its cause, ate said to be avoidable, because these tvio are the seeds of the avoidable pain and pleasure.” 4.