Viyahapannatti 12.2.536

12.2.536

Then that Jayantī, the lay follower of the śramaṇas, having heard and grasped the Dharma from the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, delighted and joyful, pays homage to and reveres the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra. Having paid homage to and revered him, she spoke thus:

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas quickly attain heaviness?”

“Jayantī! Through killing living beings, through false speech, through taking what is not given, through sexual intercourse, through possessiveness, through anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, aversion, quarreling, false accusation, slander, backbiting, dissatisfaction and satisfaction, deceitful falsehood, [and] the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas quickly attain heaviness.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas quickly attain lightness?”

“Jayantī! Through abstention from killing living beings, through abstention from false speech, through abstention from taking what is not given, through abstention from sexual intercourse, through abstention from possessiveness, through abstention from anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, aversion, quarreling, false accusation, slander, backbiting, dissatisfaction and satisfaction, deceitful falsehood, [and] the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas quickly attain lightness.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas perturb saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through killing living beings up to through the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas perturb saṃsāra.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas curtail saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through abstention from killing living beings up to through abstention from the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas curtail saṃsāra.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas lengthen saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through killing living beings up to through the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas lengthen saṃsāra.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas shorten saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through abstention from killing living beings up to through abstention from the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas shorten saṃsāra.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas wander through saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through killing living beings up to through the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas wander through saṃsāra.”

“How, Venerable Sir, do jīvas transcend saṃsāra?”

“Jayantī! Through abstention from killing living beings up to through abstention from the dart of wrong view—thus indeed, Jayantī, jīvas transcend saṃsāra.”

“Is the nature of being capable of liberation, Venerable Sir, innate to jīvas or due to transformation?”

“Jayantī! It is innate, not due to transformation.”

“Will all jīvas capable of liberation, Venerable Sir, attain liberation?”

“Yes, Jayantī! All jīvas capable of liberation will attain liberation.”

“If, Venerable Sir, all jīvas capable of liberation will attain liberation, will the world then become devoid of [jīvas] capable of liberation?”

“This meaning is not valid.”

“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘All jīvas capable of liberation will attain liberation, yet the world will not become devoid of [jīvas] capable of liberation’?”

“Jayantī! Just as there might be a series of all-space—beginningless, endless, limited [in breadth], bounded—and if it were depleted, depleted at every moment by portions measuring a single indivisible particle of pudgala over infinite utsarpinīs and avasarpiṇīs, it would be depleted, yet it would not be exhausted. For that reason, Jayantī, it is said: ‘All jīvas capable of liberation will attain liberation, yet the world will not become devoid of [jīvas] capable of liberation.’

“Is sleeping, Venerable Sir, good? Is waking good?”

“Jayantī! For some jīvas sleeping is good; for some jīvas waking is good.”

“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘For some jīvas sleeping is good; for some jīvas waking is good’?”

“Jayantī! Those jīvas who are unrighteous, pursuing unrighteousness, established in unrighteousness, speaking unrighteousness, looking to unrighteousness, indulging in unrighteousness, practicing unrighteousness, living by making a livelihood through unrighteousness alone—for these jīvas, sleeping is good. These jīvas, while sleeping, do not operate to cause pain, sorrow, pining, weeping, beating, or tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, while sleeping, do not engage themselves, others, or both in many unrighteous associations. For these jīvas, sleeping is good.

Jayantī! Those jīvas who are righteous, pursuing Dharma, established in Dharma, speaking Dharma, looking to Dharma, indulging in Dharma, practicing Dharma, living by making a livelihood through Dharma alone—for these jīvas, waking is good. These jīvas, while awake, operate without causing pain, sorrow, pining, weeping, beating, or tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, while awake, engage themselves, others, or both in many righteous associations. These jīvas, while awake, awaken themselves with the vigil of Dharma. For these jīvas, waking is good. For that reason, Jayantī, it is said: ‘For some jīvas sleeping is good; for some jīvas waking is good.’

“Is strength, Venerable Sir, good? Is weakness good?”

“Jayantī! For some jīvas strength is good; for some jīvas weakness is good.”

“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘For some jīvas strength is good; for some jīvas weakness is good’?”

“Jayantī! Those jīvas who are unrighteous up to living by making a livelihood through unrighteousness alone—for these jīvas, weakness is good. These jīvas, being weak, do not operate to cause pain up to tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, being weak, do not engage themselves, others, or both in many unrighteous associations. For these jīvas, weakness is good.

Jayantī! Those jīvas who are righteous up to living by making a livelihood through Dharma alone—for these jīvas, strength is good. These jīvas, being strong, operate without causing pain up to tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, being strong, engage themselves, others, or both in many righteous associations. For these jīvas, strength is good. For that reason, Jayantī, it is said: ‘For some jīvas strength is good; for some jīvas weakness is good.’

“Is diligence, Venerable Sir, good? Is indolence good?”

“Jayantī! For some jīvas diligence is good; for some jīvas indolence is good.”

“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘For some jīvas diligence is good; for some jīvas indolence is good’?”

“Jayantī! Those jīvas who are unrighteous up to living by making a livelihood through unrighteousness alone—for these jīvas, indolence is good. These jīvas, being indolent, do not operate to cause pain up to tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, being indolent, do not engage themselves, others, or both in many unrighteous associations. For these jīvas, indolence is good.

Jayantī! Those jīvas who are righteous up to living by making a livelihood through Dharma alone—for these jīvas, diligence is good. These jīvas, being diligent, operate without causing pain up to tormenting to many breathing, living, existing, and sentient beings. These jīvas, being diligent, engage themselves, others, or both in many righteous associations.

These jīvas, being diligent, engage themselves in much service to ācāryas, service to upādhyāyas, service to elders, service to ascetics, service to the sick, service to novices, service to the family [of monks], service to the troop, service to the saṅgha, [and] service to co-religionists. For these jīvas, diligence is good. For that reason, Jayantī, it is said: ‘For some jīvas diligence is good; for some jīvas indolence is good.’

“A jīva subject to the ear sense-organ, Venerable Sir—what does it bind? What does it produce? What does it accumulate? What does it augment?”

“Jayantī! A jīva subject to the ear sense-organ turns seven karma prakṛtis, excluding lifespan karma, bound with slack bonds into those bound with tight bonds; turns those of short duration into those of long duration; turns those of mild fruition into those of intense fruition; turns those of few space-points into those of many space-points; lifespan karma it sometimes binds, sometimes does not bind; unpleasant-feeling karma it augments repeatedly; and it wanders through the beginningless, endless, long, four-ended wilderness of saṃsāra.”

“A jīva subject to the eye sense-organ, Venerable Sir—what does it bind? What does it produce? What does it accumulate? What does it augment? In this very same way up to wanders [through saṃsāra].”

“A jīva subject to the nose sense-organ, Venerable Sir—what does it bind? What does it produce? What does it accumulate? What does it augment? In this very same way up to wanders [through saṃsāra].”

“A jīva subject to the tongue sense-organ, Venerable Sir—what does it bind? What does it produce? What does it accumulate? What does it augment? In this very same way up to wanders [through saṃsāra].”

“A jīva subject to the touch sense-organ, Venerable Sir—what does it bind? What does it produce? What does it accumulate? What does it augment? In this very same way up to wanders [through saṃsāra].”

Then that Jayantī, the lay follower of the śramaṇas, having heard and grasped this matter from the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, delighted and joyful, the rest as with Devānandā, was ordained in the very same way up to freed from all suffering.

“So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!”