less remarkable for its omissions than for its inclusions. To judge this list fairly one must remember that it is not an unused piece of lumber stored away in the Jaina statute book, but that the most careless of Jaina test their consciences by it at least once every year, and that the more devout use it every four months and some even every fortnight. It cannot be denied that such lists, together with kindred enactments, have educated the Jaina conscience to some knowledge of what sin is.
Under their fourth principle the Jaina include not only the forms which sin takes, but also the results which follow from it. Jaina have a great admiration for beauty of person and of intellect, and they believe that sin in a previous birth will inevitably produce deformity in mind or body in the next existence.
The five
Jñānā-
varaṇīya.They say that there are five ways in which sin can impede knowledge. It may impede the free use of the intellect (Matijñānāvaraṇīya). It is true that when a man becomes a Siddha, his soul will have perfect knowledge and will be able to cast aside the mind as no longer needed, but in this life he must use his intellect and his five senses to the full as a means of gaining wisdom. Sin in a previous birth hinders all exercise of the intellect, as dirt clogs the machinery of a watch. Another effect of sin on the intellect is to prevent our gaining any good from hearing or reading the scriptures (Śrutajñānāvaraṇīya). Sin also impedes the use of occult powers. Certain Jaina, even after shutting their eyes, know what is going on around them, but the effect of some sins would neutralize this knowledge (Avadhijñānāvaraṇīya). By the practice of austerities these occult powers can be so developed that a man can know what is going on in Jambūdvīpa, Dhātakī Khaṇḍa[1] and half of Puṣkaradvīpa, but previous sin (Manaḥparyāyajñānā-
- ↑ Or Kālodadhi Khaṇḍa.
