Wk 07 Wed, Feb 17
Today
Jainism – Khilnani’s “Mahavira: Soldier of Nonviolence.” 2016 – Padmanabh S. Jaini’s "Karma and the Problem of Rebirth in Jainism." 1980 – T. G. Kalghatgi’s "The Doctrine of Karma in Jaina Philosophy." 1965 – Christopher Key Chapple’s Ch. 3 “Free Will and Volunteerism in Jainism” in FWASIP
1 Wk08: Monday
Mīmāṃsā – The section on Mīmāṃsā, 121-5 in Ch. 8, "The Word and the Book," Hamilton, 2001. IP: VSI. – Wilhelm Halbfass’s “Karma, Apurva, and "Natural" Causes: Observations on the Growth and Limits of the Theory of Saṃsāra.” 1980 . Focus on the Mīmāṃsā-related aspects – Elisa Freschi’s Ch. 6 “Freedom Because of Duty” in FWASIP
Grade Matters
The final grade: – 15% Class Preparation & Participation – 25% 30% Twice-Weekly Feedback on readings – 30% 35% Weekly Reflections – 30% 35% Final Term Paper + Presentation
Canvas Late Grade Policy enabled: – -10% per day late – Min: 30%
2 Final Paper & Presentation
10-13 pgs + Bibliography 35% of Course Grade Due Mon Finals Week 2pm – Mar 15 – 10 min Presentation 2:30-4:20 pm. Goal: Synthesis, your own position on karma vs. free will Important concepts studied: – Karma, dharma, reincarnation, self, theodicy – Free Will & Agency – Determinism, fatalism, compatibilism, libertarianism – Bhagavad Gītā, Brahma-sūtras & Agency – Consciousness? Luck? Systems Considered: 7. Grammarian 1. Sāṅkhya 8. Advaita Ved nta 2. Nyāya ā 3. Abhidharma Buddhism 9. Viśiṣṭādvaita 10. Madhva Ved nta 4. Mādhyamika Buddhism ā 5. Jainism 11. Kashmir Śaivism 12. Gau ya Vai avism 6. Mīmāṃsā ḍī ṣṇ
Final Paper, cont’d
Some questions to address: – Is karma necessary? Why (not)? – What are implications of (not) accepting karma as seen in the different systems? – What in your opinion is the best solution to the problem karma is trying to answer? – Is there free will? Why (not)? – How do the different systems answer this question? . Are they successful? . Why, or why not? – How has this class affected your thinking on free-will? – What is/are the most significant take-away(s) for you?
3 Buddhism Recap
Two Truths – Conventional: “Free Will” fiction, imputation . No self – Ultimate: No self, emptiness, determinism??
Dharma of Buddhism ≠ Dharma of Hinduism
WOTD
• Metempsychosis (Kalghatgi 229) Miles, Dhruv
• Leśya (Kalghatgi 231) Dhandeep • Equanimity (sāmāyika) FWASIP 81 Dhandeep
• Coterminous (Jaini 219) Dhruv
4 Jainism
Sanskrit √ji, “to conquer” – Jina, one who has conquered desires & senses –Pārśvanātha, 850 BCE ~650 BCE . 23rd tīrthaṅkara, “ford-maker” –Mahāvīra Jina, 599–527 BCE ~490-410 BCE . 24th tīrthaṅkara, 250 years after Pārśva . nirvāṇa at age of 72 –Jambusvāmi, ~450 BCE ~350 BCE, last kevala
Mahāvīra
Attainment of enlightenment
Temple relief of Mahavira, 14th century (Seattle Asian Art Museum)
5 Jainism
2 sects 1. Śvetāmbara, white-clad 2. Digambara, sky-clad > 4.2 million Jains in India (2001 census) – 0.4% of Indians 60,000-100,000 in N. America 25,000 in Britain
Śvetambara & Digambara Monks
6 Śravanabelagola – Gommaṭeśvara / Bāhubali
Symbol of Jainism
See Appendix 1, Jaini 236-7
7 Jainism: Central Concepts
Atheistic realism Substance 1. Jīva, soul / sentient A. Liberated, siddha B. Transmigratory: gods, humans, hell-beings, animals (Jaini 222-6) i. Immobile (1 sense - touch) . earth-, water-, fire-, air-, plant-bodies . 1-body pratyeka . nigoda, low-level ii. Moving (2-, 3-, 4-, 5-sensed) (touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing + mind) 2. Ajīva, insentient objects A. Space B. Dharma / Adharma, movement / rest C. Time
Doctrines of Relativity
1. Anekāntavāda, reality is complex, or anekānta (‘non-one-sided’). 2. Nayavāda, ‘doctrine of perspectives’, anything may be known from a variety of nayas, or perspectives, that correspond to its many aspects. 3. Syādvāda, ‘doctrine of conditional predication.’ ≠ Western Relativism
8 Jain Non-Absolutism
Unanswerable Questions, per Buddhism
1. Is the loka (world) eternal? 2. Is the loka not eternal? 3. Is the loka finite? 4. Is it not finite?
5. Is the soul identical with the body? 6. Is the soul different from the body?
7. Does the Tathāgata [the Buddha] exist after death? 8. Does he not exist after death? 9. Does he both exist and not exist after death? 10. Does he neither exist nor not exist after death?
9 Jaina answers
The world is eternal. It did not cease to exist at any time. It was, it is and it will be. It is constant, permanent, eternal, imperishable, indestructible, always existent. The world is non-eternal. For it becomes progressive (in time cycle) after being regressive. And it becomes regressive after becoming progressive. The soul is eternal. For it did not cease to exist at any time. The soul is non-eternal. For it becomes animal after being a hellish creature, becomes a man after becoming an animal and it becomes a god after being a man.
Cf. “unclear thinking” Chapple 77
Jain Non-Absolutism
Non-absolutist anekāntavāda / syādavāda For p: 1. syād-asti in some ways (isw*), p is true 2. syād-nāsti isw, p is false 3. syād-asti-nāsti isw, p is both true false 4. syād-asti-avaktavyaḥ isw, p is true & indescribable 5. syād-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ isw, p is false & indescribable 6. syād-asti-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ isw, p is true, is also false, & indescribable 7. syād-avaktavyaḥ isw, p is indescribable. *isw = from standpoint of space, time, and quality
10 Karma in Jainism, 0
Material, obscuring “soul,” jīva (Jaini 218)
4 aspects: (Jaini 218,231) 1. Influx, āsrava 2. Bondage, bandha 3. Duration, sthiti 4. Fruition, anubhāga
At least 108 jīvas emancipated per 6 months + 8 moments (Jaini 226) Leśya - coloring of karma (Kalghatgi 231-2)
Karma in Jainism, 1(Jaini 231-3, FWASIP 73, Kalghatgi 231)
Material: physical dravya-karma → body psychic bhāva-karma → jīva 4 vitiating (impairing), ghātiyā removed by effort, 1. Knowledge-obscuring, jñānāvaraṇīya 2. Vision-obscuring, darśanāvaraṇīya 3. Obstructive, antarāya 4. Delusion-causing, mohanīya 4 non-vitiating, self-exhausting 5. longevity-determining, āyuḥ-karman 6. body-making, nāma-karman 7. status-determining, gotra-karman 8. feeling-producing, vedanīya-karman
11 Karma in Jainism, 2
Constant influx, āśrava Countered by: – stoppage, saṃvarā –exhaustion, nirjarā [Chapple: disjunction, 78] Self-purification, yoga – Right faith – Right knowledge . (free from doubt, error, uncertainty) – Right conduct . 5 vows: non-violence, truthfulness, not taking what is ungiven, celibacy, abstinence from all attachment
Non-violence, ahiṃsā
Towards all living beings
Voluntarism “any metaphysical or psychological system that assigns to the will (Latin: voluntas) a more predominant role than that attributed to the intellect”
12 Doors of Karma FWASIP 74
The five senses, The four passions (anger, pride, deceit, greed), The five indulgences (causing harm, lying, stealing, licentiousness, possessiveness), – Khilnani 21: “killing, of speaking untruths, of sexual pleasure, of greed, of all attachments to living beings and nonliving things” The 25 urges
16 Qualities for Freedom from
Karma FWASIP 75 Purity; humility; virtue; knowledge; Dread of repeated rebirth; charity; Austerity; harmony; service; Devotion to the Jina, the living teacher, fellow monks, and scripture; Performance of vowed duties; Promotion of the spiritual path; “Adoration of the learned ascetics in the scripture” (TS 6.23).
13 Monks vs. Laypersons
Five major vows - abstinence from: 1. violence, 2. falsehood, 3. stealing, 4. carnality, 5. possessiveness Seven supplementary vows, for lay persons: 1. refraining from movement beyond a limited area 2. restricting movement . . . even more . . . 3. refraining from wanton destruction of the environment by thought, word, or deed 4. keeping aloof from sinful conduct for a set period of time 5. fasting on sacred days . . . . 6. limiting the use of goods 7. offering alms to wandering ascetics TS 7.1,16 – Chappel 75
Chapple
“no space for external agency” (76). No gods (79). No śrāddha (ritual offerings) (Jaini 221). “ultimate responsibility of emancipating oneself from the turmoils of the world falls upon one’s own undivided efforts…” (80) “Acts of will needed to reverse course [from saṃsāra] and move towards freedom” (81). “even will or intention to follow the rules must eventually be discarded” (83). – “will entangles one in saṃsāra”
14 Freedom
With the various species of karma purified, the soul becomes established in a cool, moonlike radiance. In respect to the world, ordinary consciousness is like a cloud concealing the moonlight. It is said that at the time when the clouds of destructive karma are destroyed by the winds of Yoga, that is the escape. Then the glory of singular knowledge is born. YDS 183–184, Chapple 79
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