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A Comparative Study of Jainism and Buddhism - Brahmacharit Sital Prasadji, 1934 - Complete Book

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THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 189 “The ignorant being addicted to the nature of matter always becomes its enjoyer, the learned being unattachea to the nature of matter never becomes its enjover; thus knowing the rule, the wise men must give up ignorance and should serve knowledge being steadfast in the light of the pure self.” 58/10 Sqqa TASESA: TCA HAMA Al HAT | qwaiataqea gaa: HAAS TT A AGA I 3e-“o ll Vyavahara vimidha dristayah, parmartham kalayantt no janah Tusa bodha vimugdha buddhayah kalayantth tusam no tandulam. 49/10 ‘* Just as those, who are foolish in understanding husk to be rice, are attentive tv husk only, but not to rice ; so also those, who are deluded in worldly affairs, never pay attention to the real substance.” (5) Tattvdnusdsanam by Nagasena says :— TE GANtH BST TIARA | ARNAAAYA DOUTAATIATN Il °X22 I Yathu sansarikam saukhyam ragatmaka masas- vatam Svapara dravya sambhutam trisna santapa karanam. 1243 “That which is sensual pleasure produced by the connection of the self with the non-self, is full of lust, is transitory and is the cause of creating desire and pain.” 190 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM (6) Tattva-sdra by Devasena says :— Bae Taz fs eiza faate Aaa FET | SHAUNA soos oreft wat s faasiay tt 3% I Rusat tusat nichcham tndtya visa yéht sanjao midho, Sakasdo anndani nani eto du vivarido. “The deluded one always -is either pleased or pained. in connection with the sensual objects, and is full of passions and ignorance, while the learned remains free from them.” (7) Jndna lochana stotra by Vadiraja says — AAMMAMAT FSA RATA ATARAA | AMSUTT ANTI ATS Ai ale AaesreT Ml 22 Anddya vidya maya murchht tingam kamodara krodha hutasa taptam, Syddvadaptytisad mahousadhena trayasvamam mohd maha hidastam. 31 ‘“T have been deluded from the beginningless time by ignorance, I am burning with the fire of sensuality and anger, and I am bitten by the great serpent of delusion ; save me by supplying me the great nectar-like medicine of knowledge which js not one-sided.” (8) Sara Samuchchaya by Kulabhadra :— aia aa qsata fea ar ate at fea | Baw saa AAT TAs QAI: | 23& Il eqa zaasaa Bonin start | a aera waa faTaars ater | Be" I THE PATH oF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 191] a: davararadia OTR TOTS | aa fatr ray BIC AAINAAT Il X29 I Trisnandha natva pasyanti hitam vd yadiva hitam, Santosdnjana m.is.idya pasyanti sudhiyo janah, 239 Hridayam dahyate tyartham trisn-agni paritapitam. Na sakyam samanam kartum vina-santosa vdrind 245 Yath santosdmritam pitam trisna trit prandsanam, Tatscha nirvana saukhasya karnam samuparjitam. 247 “ Blinded by desire do not look to their benefit or loss, while the wise men having antimony of content- ment look to that.’ . “ This heart is strongly burning with the flame of desire, which cannot be extinguished without the water of contentment.”’ ‘“ They, who have drunk the nectar of contentment, which removes the thirst of desire, have attained the means of enjoying the bliss of Nirvana.”’ (9) Subhasita ratna sandoha by Amitagati, con- tains :— 7 stad fadaaneta acer fafearatarn ans: aata: Gas AAAASaea Te ZaTeAA | am aaa axa facia fanaa aaa: Baas Sa AA 4 Aa AMT Alas TAA I's 7 oll Re Jiva tvam vimuncha ksana rucht—chapata- nindrtyarthopabhoga, Nebhirdhukkham na nitah kimth bhava vane tyanta roudrt hatatman, 192 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM Trisuan chettena tebhyo viramati, vrimate, dyapt papatmakebhyah, Sansdrdatyanta dukkhan kathamapi na taeda mugdha muktim praydast. 410 ““O Soul! give up these sensual enjoyments which are fleeting like lightening; O Soul, there is no such pain which has not been suffered by you in this very dangerous forest of Samsara. If you have any desire, O Wisdomless, for these sinful enjoyments, you should give it up even now, otherwise, O Fool, you can never go to Nirvana being freed from the great miseries of this Samsara.” PRAJNA OR SELF-DISCRIMINATION. The Buddhist literature has shown the great necessity for Prajna in very strong terms :— (1) Hindi Buddha Charya page 415 (D.N. 1-10.2) Sangita pariyaya Sutta. There have been described four right spheres :— Prajna (discrimination), Sila (practical vows), Samddhi (concentration) and Vimukti (liberation). Out of these four, the last is the result while the first three are the means to Nirvdna, and they are included in the eight-fold path Samyak dristi, etc. During my talks with the learned Buddhist Monks of Ceylon I came to know that Samyak dristi and Samyak sankalpa are included in prajna; Samyak Vachana, Samyak THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 193 Karmanta, Samyakayjiva, Samyak Vyayama and Sam- yaksmriti are included in Sila ; while Samyak Samadhi is itself Samddhi. The Jain scriptures also describe the three-fold path which very closely resembles the Buddhist three-fold path. Samyak darsana and Samyak Jnana of the Jains are included in Prajna, because it means right discrimination such as “my self is distinct from non- self and all other substances, and that I am only reali- zable alone’; while practical Samyak-chéritra of the Jains is included in Sila and the real Samyak charitra is included in Samadhi. (2) Buddha Charya p. 244 D.N. 1-4 Sinadanda Sutta— It says: “ Self-discrimination is purified by con- duct, conduct is purified by self-discrimination. When there is conduct there is discrimination ; when there is discrimination, there is conduct; self-discrimination is procured by conduct, while conduct is procured by self- discrimination. Still conduct is said to be the foremost of all the self-discriminations. Self-discrimination is purified by conduct and conduct is purified by self- discrimination.”’ Note. In fact, practical conduct is necessary for right belief and right knowledge, thereby the mind will become niild and self-discrimination will appear, while on procuring self-discrimination, practical conduct. will 25 194 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM be improved and concentration will arise. Both are the means for concentration. The Jain scriptures also glorify prajna or self- discrimination thus :-~ Samayasara says :— qooTaaeal Al AA Al Ae F forssazat | AAA A WAT A ASA Ths Tsar | 9% Il Pannde ghittavvo Jo chadd so aham tu nichchhayado, Avasésa Je bhava te majjhe paretti nad davvd “That conscious being which is to be grasped by self-discrimination is I am myself from the real point of view; all the other conditions are foreign to me—this should be known.”’ Sdra Samuchchaya says :—~ qaitat Gzasal FEIT Waraer | SMW IAAR A TAT GA HAV Il S% fl Prajnd ngand sada sevya pursena sukha vaha, Heyopadeya tattvajna ya rata sarva karmant. ‘“The Maiden of self-discrimination, which is always obedient in knowing the adoptable and the rejectable principle in all the actions and is blissful, should always be served by a man.” FOUR MEDITATIONS. The Buddhist literature speaks highly of the four meditations :—maitre or friendship, praméda or delight, kdrunya or compassion, Upéksa or madhyastha_ot indifference. THE PATH OF NIRVANA OR LIBERATION 195 Buddha Charya pa. 186 M. N. 2. 1. 2. Maha Rahula-vada sutta (1) Rahula! meditate upon friend- ship ; by such friendly feelings enmity will be destroyed. (2) Rahula! meditate upon compassion; by compas- sionate feelings, injurious thoughts will be destroyed. (3) Rahula! meditate upon delight, by delightful thoughts you will remove dissatisfaction. (4) Rahula ! meditate upon indifference, by which your thought of enmity will be destroyed. The Jain scriptures also declare that these should be meditated upon by every saint and layman :— (1) Tattvdrtha sutra by Umaswami says :— Haas areTents a aa fee areat FaaTGT ll 22-9 I Mattri-praméda kdrunyamadyas-thani cha sativa gunddhtka klisyamand vinayeshu. 11/7 ‘“ Friendship towards all the beings, delight towards those great in qualifications, compassion towards the afflicted and indifference towards those who are perversely inclined.” (2) Samdayika path by Amitagati says :— areas aa rattagat aat ware frag Fa: 70 Sattvesu mattrt guntsu pramodam, Klitesu Jivesu Kripa parattvam. Madhyastha bhavam vipanta vrittau sada mamatme vida dhatu deva: 1 196 JAINISM AND BUDDHISM ‘“Q Lord, let my soul always have friendship towards all the beings, delight towards the qualified, compassion towards the afflicted and indifference towards those perversely inclined.” The above statements will clearly show that the eight-fold path of Nirvana in Buddhism quite agrees with the three-fold path of Nirvana in Jainism. Both Jainism and Buddhism believe that one can attain Nirvana by one’s own efforts; never can it be given through compassion by any personal God. Both the religions lay stress on self-discrimination. Both strongly recommend the giving up of affection, hatred, delusion. Both say that Nirvana is realizable. Both lay stress on the control of the five senses and the mind. Both teach relinquishing injury, false-hood, theft, unchastity and desire. Both declare that mind, body and speech must be kept free from harmful actions and they should be applied to those useful means which result in procuring Nirvana. CHAPTER IV. KARMAS AND THEIR FRUITS. It is evident from the Buddhist literature that every being experiences fruits of his good and bad deeds in the very life or in the future life and that the being takes another birth owing to Sanskara or mentation of previous birth; and that as far as continuation of five spheres of body, feeling, perception, mentation and (impure) consciousness goes on, so long has the being to undergo many births and that when all the dsavds {impure thought-vitalities) will be destroyed, Nirvana will be procured.