SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE AT THE SEMINAR ON “SOLUTION OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES THROUGH MAHAVIRA PHILOSOPHY” ORGANIZED ON THE OCCASION OF MAHAVIR JAYANTI

SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE AT THE SEMINAR ON “SOLUTION OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES THROUGH MAHAVIRA PHILOSOPHY” ORGANIZED ON THE OCCASION OF MAHAVIR JAYANTI

Rashtrapati Bhavan Auditorium, New Delhi: 22-04-2013

1. I am indeed happy to join you for the seminar titled, “Solution of Global Challenges through Mahavira Philosophy”, being held a few days prior to the Mahavir Jayanti. I take this opportunity to extend my warm greetings to all of you.

2. I congratulate the Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati for organizing this seminar on a topic of great relevance to contemporary times. At a time when the world is faced with multiple challenges and we are seeking ways and means to overcome them, the philosophy and teachings enunciated by Bhagwan Mahavira holds great significance. This is a time to bring his message and teachings to the forefront of our approach in dealing with today’s problems.

3. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bhagwan Mahavira was born as Vardhamana in a royal family to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala in 599 B.C. in Bihar. Despite the luxuries at his disposal, he preferred to lead a simple life. At 30 years of age, he left the pleasures of the world and discarded all material comfort to become a monk.

4. He meditated for 12 years to overcome all desires, after which, he attained self-realization and divine knowledge, or keval jnana. He spent the next 30 years travelling throughout the country overcoming immense physical hardships to preach the eternal truth. Because of his simplicity and espousal of high morals, he was able to reach out to many believers. His teachings were based on the concept of self-realization for the attainment of Moksha or liberation.

5. Bhagwan Mahavira is the 24th and the last Tirthankara. According to Jain tradition, a Tirthankara is an enlightened soul who having been born as a human being attains enlightenment through meditation and self realization. Tirthankaras are also called Arihants, or the one who destroys inner enemies like anger, greed or ego. Bhagwan Mahavira, in human form, became divine as an enlightened soul.

6. Bhagwan Mahavira propounded a philosophy with the sole aim to improve the quality of life. He strongly adhered to the theory of Karma and held that it is karma, or our deeds, that decides our destiny. His message deals with how one can gain freedom from the cycle of birth, life, pain, misery and death, and achieve Moksha or liberation.

7. He advocated right faith or samyak darshana, right knowledge or samyak jnana, and right conductor samyak charitra, as crucial for attaining liberation. To denote right conduct, he specified five essential principles, namely non-violence or ahimsa, truth or satya, wrongful possession or asteya, chastity or brahmacharya, and complete detachment from people, place and material objects or aparigraha.

8. Bhagwan Mahavira simplified religion by making it devoid of any complicated rituals. He taught that human life is supreme and that it is important to have positive attitude in life. He preached the universal gospel of love, stressing that living beings, irrespective of size, shape and form are equal and deserve equal love and respect.

9. In his life time, he used the principles of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct to resolve many social ills and reform the society. He brought about social progress on issues such as slavery of women, equality of status to women, and social equality.

10. The universal truth of Bhagwan Mahavira’s philosophy and teaching make them equally applicable to the modern world. For contemporary problems like erosion of environment and natural resources, violence through war and terrorism, religious intolerance, and economic exploitation of poor, answers could be found in his teachings.

11. Ladies and Gentlemen, the deterioration of environment and depletion of natural resources has engaged the attention of the world today. Bhagwan Mahavira’s doctrines of Shatjivanikay and Ahimsa are a meaningful approach to address this growing crisis. Shatjivanikay denotes living beings as having six types of body formation comprising the mobile living being that has 2 to 5 senses, and the living beings with one sense that are water, earth, air, fire and plant. The practice of ahimsa should be towards all living beings and not just human beings alone.

12. These concepts exhort human beings to exercise utmost care in consuming natural resources and to desist from polluting the environment. Bhagwan Mahavira prescribed moderation in the use of resources by adopting carefulness, self restraint and a limit to possession of durable and non-durable assets. Bhagwan Mahavira also showed us the path of careful consumption.

13. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bhagwan Mahavira’s teachings are in consonance with the need to mitigate economic disparity. He preached that both non-availability and excess availability are dangerous. The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few is one of the causes for growing intolerance today.

14. Bhagwan Mahavira preached for eliminating the feeling of possessiveness and replacing it with the concept of trusteeship of wealth. He showed the virtue of this ideal by his own example. He renounced his wealth completely and led the life of a recluse to attain true knowledge.

15. Bhagwan Mahavira realized that differences in individual capabilities and needs exist. He therefore preached social ahimsa comprising compassion, equanimity, love and tolerance to encourage his followers to focus on their own betterment by letting others also achieve the same.

16. The teachings of Bhagwan Mahavira are still very apt and relevant today. He preached that one is neither downtrodden nor blessed by birth. He mentioned that man should be known not by his birth but by his actions. Practicing such a principle would further the cause of a just social order, an ideal espoused by the builders of the modern society.

17. The world today is unfortunately divided by race, religion and nationality. It is also marred by numerous conflicts that originate from such segregation. Bhagwan Mahavira gave the doctrine of Anekantavada or multiplicity of views and said that opposites co-exist, like white and black or rich and poor. He asked for the differences and diversities to be reconciled through dialogue and practice of social ahimsa. In today’s context, nothing can be more relevant than this.

18. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bhagwan Mahavira’s doctrine talks of multi-faceted development. He had said, (quote): “The nature of all living beings is to be happy. Every one wishes to eliminate pain so that he or she can be happy forever” (unquote). At a macro level, the happiness of a country or community rests on the pillars of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of natural environment, and establishment of good governance. These are imperative goals of any democratic polity today, and they have great potential for being realized by adhering to Bhagwan Mahavira’s teachings.

19. The three A’s of Ahimsa, Anekanta and Aparigraha of Bhagwan Mahavira’s philosophy can provide answers to many modern day problems. I am delighted to know that under the guidance of Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni, Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati is working towards building a society free from violence, terrorism, exploitation, poverty, communalism, caste distinctions, and other social ills. I am happy to note that for his untiring efforts, Acharyaji has been honoured by the Government with the National Communal Harmony Award, 2010.

20. I am confident that the Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati will continue to work towards social progress in the country. I wish the organization all success. I once again wish all my Jain brothers and sisters on this auspicious occasion. Let Bhagwan Mahavira bless us.

Thank you.

Jai Hind.

The beliefs of the Jains

Ashik Shah

Outline of Jain Beliefs

What is it which prompts a prince, used to the best things in life, to abandon his material and worldly pleasures, and to adopt a life of strict asceticism austerity?

Two and half millennia ago, Lord Mahavira (599-527 BCE) did precisely this, at the age of 30.
He spent years in silent contemplation, living a simple and austere life. At the age of 42 he attained Enlightenment or Omniscience, which the Jains called Kevalgnan, and for 30 years shared his message of universal spiritual upliftment until, at age 72, his soul left embodiment for good and he attained Moksha or Nirvana.

Lord Mahavira is a historical figure and he is mentioned in Buddhist texts, being a contemporary of the Buddha, but from an older, established tradition. He is a Jina, or victor, having overcome his inner enemies. A Jain is one who worships a Jina.

In addition to being a Jina, Lord Mahavira is a Tirthankar, a ford-maker. He has made a ford for us so we can cross over from this world of embodied existence (Sansar) to the state of Moksha, Liberation.

He is the last of 24 Tirthankars which Jains believe to have existed in this particular part of the time cycle. The 23rd Tirthankar, Lord Parshvanath, is also a historical figure. It is typically one or more of these 24 Tirthankars who Jains worship.

The Jain tradition is a unique, distinct and ancient part of the culture of South Asia. Often considered to be a sect of Hinduism, it is actually an independent religious tradition.
Like Buddhism, Jainism is considered a Shramanical tradition, as opposed to a Brahminical Hinduism.

While the Tirthankars are worshipped, they are considered to be mortal human beings, who attained Moksha and left behind a religious order and shared the eternal message of Jainism. We believe in them as exemplary beings, whose path we can follow to realise the same exalted states they achieved. In Jain philosophy, any living being, if it so wishes, can attain Moksha, or liberation, and become a Jina.

Each and every living being is, by nature, a soul. Each is eternal, unique and identical, apart from the circumstances of its embodiment. This state of embodiment has been driven since time immemorial by the Law of Karma. Just as gold is found in ore, so our soul is embodied, and the process of purification will lead to its shining liberation.

Despite our spiritual nature, we identify with the body we currently occupy and animate. Without a soul, a dead body is literally lifeless and will not function. The mind, the breath, the senses are all driven by the soul or Atma or Jiva. This soul is the seat of consciousness, which is its defining characteristic. The body is cast off from one life to another, in the same ways as we change clothes.

The misidentification of ourselves as bodies is a function of our delusion. This delusion generates a sense of “me and mine” toward the body, its relationships and its circumstances, with which we have a merely ephemeral, temporary association.

This generates feelings of like and dislike towards situations which are positive and negative for the body, and these are expressed as the quartet of passions, namely anger, ego, deceit, greed, which lead to various vibration activities in the soul, seens as thought, words and actions. This delusion, these passions, and these vibrations drive the process of Karma, in a seemingly vicious cycle. The Jain path is the path of breaking this cycle.

If we realise that we are souls by nature, and that all living beings possess a soul like ours, then this must have a dramatic outcome on both our vision and our ethical conduct. Jains believe in the cultivation of friendship and compassion towards all living beings. These virtues are to be practiced until they become a state of being, rather than conditional on any particular soul, just as a rose give fragrance, regardless of whether anyone is there.

Jain ethics are driven by the principle of Ahimsa, non-violence. This traditionally governs diet, business and professional practice, and general conduct. Jains are usually strict vegetarians: In addition, many do not even eat certain vegetables and fruits, as their cultivation, harvesting or consumption would entail more damage to living beings: in the West, there is increasing adoption of Veganism amongst younger members of the community. The scriptures and codes of conduct contain injunctions against certain professions involving harm, or the exploitation of other lives.
The religion and practice of Jainism, as with other South Asian traditions, is best expressed as Dharma. Dharma can be considered three ways: “Dharma is the nature of things;” it is that which protects us from conduct which is not beneficial to the Soul; and it is the path to Moksha.
Dharma thus brings us closer to the our own true nature, or soul. It generates conduct which will free us from Karma, and it is the path to Moksha or freedom from Karma.

“Right Belief, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct constitute the path to Moksha”
These three are seen as the three Jewels of Jain Dharma. Right belief, at one level, is the belief in our true nature as Soul, and not as body; a belief in the True God, True Dharma and True Guru; it can also be understood, at another level, as the very experience of the soul, of self-realisation. Right Knowledge refers to the insights that are conducive to faith, such as that body and soul are separate. Right Conduct ultimately also resides in the soul, in that our inclinations, thoughts, words and deeds are governed spiritually, and, ultimately, that we become still in the experience of soul.

The nature of the soul has already been described as eternal consciousness. It is our own sense of identity. Also intrinsic to it are the qualities of bliss and energy. In an embodied state, all of these are obscured by Karma, but in the state of Moksha, we experience them in infinity. The state of Moksha is thus freedom from Karma, but, more positively it is the experience of eternal, infinite consciousness, bliss and energy.

The soul is free from the duality of pleasure and pain, from like and dislike, and from the ups and downs of mundane life. Even before the state of Moksha, in self-realisation, one can experience this bliss and peace, even if momentarily, right here and now.

It is this potential to realise the joy and ecstasy of self-realisation, to cultivate a state of selflessness, and equanimity, and to live in harmony with all living beings, which inspires me on my journey.

The Morality and Ethics in Jainism

This article by Lysianassa explores morality and ethics in the Jain religion

The religion of Jainism is followed by an estimated 20 million devotees. Like Buddhism, it arose in the sixth century BCE, but unlike Buddhism, it did not have an dynamic missionary spirit. Its contentment lies in the quiet life. It originated in Benares, India, and spread westward and northward.

Jainism was founded by a series of 24 enlightened thinkers, named Tirthankaras, starting with Parshva and ending with Mahavira, who lived in the 4th or 5th century BCE (Chappell, p.214). The Acaranga Sutra, the earliest known Jaina text, describes a world inundated with life, and narrates the story of Mahavira’s life. Mahavira, in this Sutra, arrange a sequence of rules to aid one along the path to enlightenment.

These rules were intended to lessen and eradicate karma through a vigilant observance of nonviolent conduct. These rules include precise commands for when, what and how to eat; when and how to travel; where and when to defecate; and from whom to accept food, as well as lists of a variety of activities, including attending wedding ceremonies, to be avoided.

The philosopher Umasvati, and the author of the Tattvartha Sutra, who lived in the second or third century CE, developed a cosmological structure that is acknowledged by both the foremost branches of Jainism, the Digambaras and the Svetamabaras. It endeavours to clarify the place of the human being in a grand incessant reality.

According to Umasvati's Tattvartha Sutra, there are 8,400,000 different varieties of life. These ‘lifes’ are all part of a beginningless round of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Each living being accommodates a life force or ‘jiva’ that inhabits and enlivens the host environment. When the body dies, “the jiva seeks out a new site depending upon the proclivities of karma generated and accrued during the previous lifetime. Depending upon one's actions, one can either ascend to a heavenly realm, take rebirth as a human, animal, elemental, or microbial form, or descend into one of the hells as a suffering human being or a particular animal, depending upon the offense committed” (Chappell, p.209).

Jainism, in many ways, is a realistic religion. It not only holds that reality is pluralistic, but also that reality is many-faced. In order to maintain this stance Jainism develops a logic of sevenfold predication. The progress of this logic, consecutively, depends predominantly on the notion of avaktavya (the unspeakable). The Jaina’s conjecture that all the countless living beings, from a speck of dirt or a drop of water, to animals and humans themselves, have one commonality - the capability for tangible understanding.

According to the scholar Mysore Hiriyanna, the concept of avaktavya "must be expressible as neither”. This means that if we refute both existence and non-existence, if we counteract the two dissimilar elements of being and non-being together, the thing confuses all explanation. It becomes beyond description i.e. neither real nor unreal (Tripathi, p.187).

The philosophy, rituals, values, and customs of Jainism centre around the aspiration to be freed from the cycle of rebirth .The Jaina faith believes in karma and reincarnation; that each person beginninglessly lives one life after another, and will do so continuously unless he becomes enlightened. Karma canon explains that one unavoidably receives the value or demerit due; right or wrong actions not impartially done yield weal or woe, and no one can elude their due remuneration. Entrenched in these canons is a justice obligation; the receiver of the remuneration must be the doer of the action for which recompense comes - she, and not another.

Karma decides the path of one's incarnation. Negative karma causes a downhill movement, both in this current cycle of birth and death and in future births. Positive karma liberates the negative, obligatory merits of karma and allows for a rise to higher realms, either as a more ethically pure human being or as a god or goddess. Eventually, the Jaina path of purification through its many firm ethical teaching may end in joining the realm of the perfected ones, the siddhas. These enlightened souls have released themselves from all karma, principally due to their dedication to total harmlessness (ahimsa), and “dwell in a state of eternal consciousness, energy, omniscience, and bliss” (Chappell, p.210 – 211).

A text from the Jainism doctrine, Jaina Sutras, states; “Those who do not know all things by kevala (knowledge), but who being ignorant teach a law (of their own), are lost themselves, and work the ruin of others in this dreadful, boundless Cycle of Births. Those who know all things by the full Kevala knowledge, and who are practicing meditation and teach the whole law, are themselves saved and save other” (Yandell, p.29).

The most desirable alteration- namely, enlightenment- neither transforms the character of the self or person or jiva (the soul), nor does it eliminate his ability for consciousness. After the soul is free, there remains perfect right-belief, perfect right-knowledge, perfect perception and the state of having achieved all. The soul has the nature of knowledge, and the understanding of this nature is Nirvana; therefore, one who is desirous of Nirvana must meditate on self-knowledge.

Speaking in a general way, the Jaina will say that the (beginninglessly) tainted state of the soul guides it to its incessant reincarnation in a variety of states. Continuation in such condition, branded by desire, entails actions which attract karmic matter; this matter in turn plays a role in the soul's additional corruption, therefore to further incarnation. Consequently we have the essential practice through which one is held in the sequence of transmigration (samsara) (Yandell, p.23 – 24).

The Jaina believe that through respect for life in all its forms, including microorganisms and the elements, one can ascend to a elevated state of spiritual understanding.

Bibliography:

Chappell, Christopher Key (2001) The Living Cosmos of Jainism: A Traditional Science Grounded in Environmental Ethics, Daedalus, The MIT Press on behalf of American Academy of Arts and Science.

Tripathi, R. K. (1968) The Concept of Avaktavya in Jainism, Philosophy East and West, University of Hawai’i Press.

Yandell, Keith (1997) Persons (Real and Alleged) in Enlightenment Traditions: A Partial Look at Jainism and Buddhism, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Springer.

Classification of the Jain Literature

By Amit Prakash Jain

Many a times we think that there are a number of types of various granths (religious books), & sometimes the topics covered in them are so different from one another that it is not easy for us to believe that these all granths are directing us to the same goal that is "swabhav" or the "dharam".

But, to make it easy there is a classification of the anuyogs or the granths.
The classification is :-

1- Prathmanuyog:- now as the name says it is 'pratham' or the 1st i.e. the'initial' anuyog.
It is initial as it is for the beginners.Here we include the various jain puranas like-
-Padmapuran
-Harivamshpuran
-Mahaveerpuran
-Adipuran etc

Now, in these granths there are stories pf the tirthankaras & other shalaka purush(some special persons).

By the stories of their lives the reader learns the dharma , this help in developing the right faith i.e. the samyakdarshan.

It is noteworthy to mention here that while the Padmapuran contains the jain-Ramayana, the Harivanshpuran has the stories of Shree Krishna.

Stories are simple & attractive for the beginners.The reader learns for eg., from the Padmapuran that even great person like lord Rama & Devi Sita had to face the sorrows due to karmoday. In the same way it gives a message to the reader that this world is 'asaar' or meaningless & the real sukh is there in the salvation.

2-Charnanuyog:- this group of the granths deals with the description of the charitras or the conduct of vthe shraavaks & the munis.

Ratnakrandshravakaachar written by Shree Samantbhadraacharyaji some 2000yrs back is the prototype of the charananuyog granths.

In this granth the aacharya has given the examples pf the good shraavaks to those munis who have distracted from the samyakdarashan & he has given examples of the samyakdrishti animals to the shravaks who have distracted from the samyakdarashan
Yes, I am correct- jainism believes that even an animal can have samyakdarshan.

3-Karnanuyog:- this group deals with the Jain-geography & mathematics.
It explains about the gunsthaans and the margnasthans, jeevdasha etc.
These topics are certainly not for the beginners & so we find that these granths are studied by the scholars & munis etc

The ultimate aim of the granths is also to lead to "swabhav" i.e. dharma

Examples of this group's granths are:-

Shree Shathkhandaagam, Chhapnasaar, Gommatsaar, Labdhisaar etc

4- Dravyanuyog:- this is the group of the graths which states directly the swabhav (the essence of dharma) of the six dravyas (substances) & primarily that of the jeeva-dravya.
It is 'direct' because what ever it is explaining is the ultimate aims of the other above 3 groups that is to say that "vastu swabhavo iti khalu dhammo"- the nature of the substance is its dharma.

This group includes:-

Samaysaar, Pravachansaar, Panchaastikaay .ASthpahud & the Panchaastikaay.
The above mentioned 5 granths are called as the 'Panch parmaagams' written by Aacharya Shree Kundkund bhagwaan, some 2000yrs back in the prakrit languag.
I must mention here that the paramagams were written by Kundkundaacharya dev after listening to the divya-dhoni of the Kevali Shree Srimandhar Swmi Bhagwan at Videhkshetra..

There are hundred and one definitions of the dharma in jainism but all means the same & ultimately all the granths leads to swabhav which is dharma.

" I am jeev dravya,gyan is my gunn (quality) & 'to know' is my 'paryay'"- this is the essence of all these anuyogs.

In the end as always said by our respected Shreepalanji , I would say that the wrong is mine & the truth is that of the kevali's
Jai jinendra

ARCHARYA KUNDAKUNDA

ARCHARYA KUNDAKUNDA
Great organizer of highly complex ideas

By Prof. Yashwant Malaiya, Colorado

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, atop a hill known as Ponnur Malai, on a large stone under a certain champa tree pilgrims may come across an engravedpair of stylized footprints (charan). These footprints are symbolic of a thinker who, nearly tow millennia ago composed some of the most influential philosophical books in world history. Some scholars from generations since then remember the exact day of their first encounter with his spiritual masterpiece, the Samaya Sara.

Among the most famous of all Jain acharyas, Kundakunda, the celebrated author of the four renowned books Samaya Sara (Treatise of the True Self), Pravachana Sara (Treatise of Lectures), Niyama Sara (Treatise on Pure Rules), Panchastikaya Sara (Treatise on Five Universal Components) and Ashta Pahuda (Eight Steps), which is a collection eight texts. All his works are written in a Jain dialect known as Shourseni Prakrit. The organization of Jain ideas into certain relationships and structures taken for granted in more recent centuries was ultimately a product of his genius. Such has been his fame since early items, that many other books actually written by his pupils and others are popularly ascribed to him. In the Digambar tradition he is named immediately after Lord Mahavira and the preceptor Indrabhuti Goutam in the Mangalacharana (auspicious blessing) prayer, and Jains of the Digambar tradition dub their tradition Kundakund-anvaya (the order of Kundakunda). However, scholars of all sects study his books with deep veneration.

He was born around the beginning of the first century AD in South India in a place becoming a Jain monk was Padmanandi, but he is better known by the place of his origin. Kundakunda mentions that he was an intellectual descendant of Bhadrabahu I, the last Shrut Kevalin. Kundakunda belonged to an ancient order called the Nandi Sangha, wherein most monks assumed names ending in ‘nandi’. The Punyashrava Katha Kosh mentions that in his previous life, Kundakunda was a cow-herder who had found and preserved ancient texts and was blessed by a wandering monk. Acharya Kundakunda’s intense learning and moral character attracted royal disciples such as King Shivakumar. The story of Kundakunda is also surrounded buy legend- it is even said he could walk in air.

Kundakunda’s influence extends far beyond Jainism. India has always been a land where philosophical debate is a standard feature of intellectual life. The concise and systematized aphorismic forms he brought to Jain literature and the literary structures in which he explained Jainism’s most advanced scientific principles relating to such area as atomic structure, cosmic dimensions, the cosmic ethers, and psychology, rivaled anything produced up to that time anywhere in the world. Hindu and Buddhist thinkers were put to the task of finding ways to respond to his explications of Jain philosophy and conduct, and he thus set unprecedented levels of erudition and rationalism in India’s overall philosophical discourse which would last through modern times.

Out of enthusiastic respect, Acharya Kundakunda has been called “Light of this Dark Age”. Several commentaries on his Samaya Sara have been written in Sanskrit and modern languages. In more recent centrues, the Samaya Sara had greatly moved leaders and scholars like Banarasi Das, Taran Svami, Shrimad Rajachandra and Kanaji Swami.

The Message of The Religion of Ahimsa

By Prof. A Chakravarti

Of all the Indian Darshanas, Jainism is the only one which has the principle of Ahimsa as its central doctrine. The other Darshanas also speak of Ahimsa whenever convenient but they never offer such loyalty whenever convenient but they never offer such loyalty tot he principle of Ahimsa as is found in Jainism.

What is the message of Ahimsa to the modern world?
Before answering this question, we have to remember the important aspects of modern thought. The most dominant factor of modern thought is Science. It is clear nowadays that no idea which does not satisfy the bar of scientific reason has any chance of being accepted by modern thought is Science. It is clear nowadays that no idea which does not satisfy the bar of scientific reason has any chance of being accepted by modern thinkers. Religious ideas mainly based upon irrational traditions and superstitions will all be brushed aside as of no great importance. In this respect Jainism is on a safer ground. Jaina thinkers from the very beginning emphasize the importance of reason in all matters connected with religion. In fact, they prescribe as the first and most important condition of religious development, complete freedom from popular superstition. Samyak Darshana or Right Faith according to Jaina thinkers requires freedom from three types of superstitious beliefs or three moodahs. These are described as Loka Moodah, Deva Moodah and Pasandi Moodah,-popular superstition, superstition about popular deities, and faith in false ascetics. These three types of superstitious beliefs must be first got rid of by a person before he starts on his spiritual path. Unless he discards various superstitious beliefs he cannot begin his spiritual development freely unhampered. Belief that bathing in a particular river will wash off one’s virtue, or climbing up a particular hill will produce spiritual development are all avoidable impediments on the way of true belief in the nature of Reality. Whenever there is an epidemic in the society, people try to appease the deities by offering animal sacrifice. Such an attempt to propitiate certain deities is based upon the false belief that these deities are the real cause of the epidemic disease, such as cholera, or smallpox. Such practices are not only useless and ineffective but prevent men from discovering the true cause of such disease and preparing suitable and effective remedies. Hence this second type of false belief is extremely ruinous to society, if not completely eradicated. The third type of false belief upon superstitious faith in all sorts of Samnyasins. Very often undesirable crooks put on kashaya, the robe of a samnyasi, and trade upon the simplicity of unthinking people. These false ascetics very often mislead the people as to true from of religion. They cheat the people to secure their own benefits. Getting rid of all kinds of superstitious belief, a person gets firmly established on the foundation of Samyak Darshana, Right Faith. Getting firmly established in Right Faith of Samyak Darshana is the first step firmly established in Right Faith or Samyak Darshana is the first step in spiritual development. But that alone is not enough. Right Faith no doubt places a person on the correct path. But that alone cannot lead to complete spiritual development. This right faith must lead to Right knowledge or Samyak Jnana. Equipped with correct faith one must try to secure correct knowledge of things in reality. Unless one acquires an accurate knowledge of things and persons, unless one understands the true nature of oneself one cannot achieve anything.

Therefore, an accurate knowledge of the nature of Reality is a necessary condition to spiritual development. These two alone, right faith and right knowledge, would not be sufficient. Acquisition of correct knowledge must lead to correct action. What is the use of correct knowledge if it is not going go guide you in action? Hence correct action in the light of correct knowledge is necessary condition for complete spiritual development. Hence Jainism maintains that all these aspects must be present in a person if he is to reach his spiritual goal. This truth is expressed by the Jaina thinkers in the following statement:
(Original language words are missing)

“Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct together constitute the path of Salvation.”
In this respect Jainism differs from other Darshanas, some of which emphasize only faith, some emphasize knowledge and some emphasize conduct. Faith or Bhakti alone is considered enough to lead to salvation. Knowledge alone is supposed to be sufficient to achieve salvation. Conduct or activity alone is considered to be enough to secure salvation. Such one-sided religious beliefs are dismissed by the Jaina thinkers. They maintain that all the three must be present together to achieve the purpose. Very often the following analogy is quoted.

Salvation implies escape from Samsara which is associated with birth, old age and death. Every person aims to reach a place which is free from birth an death. Such a desire is similar to the desire of a sick man to cure himself and attain normal health. Such a desire to be effective, the sick man just have implicit faith in his doctor, whom he consults. Next he must have a clear knowledge of the medicine prescribed by the doctor and thirdly he must take the medicine according to the instructions given by the doctor. Faith in the doctor, knowledge of the medicine, and taking the medicine as prescribed, all these three are necessary to eradicate the sickness and to secure normal health. Similar is the acquisition of spiritual health, which would be secured only by the co-operation of the three items of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.

What is the conception of God in Jaina Religion? What is the nature of God worshipped by the Jainas?
Jaina Darshana, just as Sankhya Darshana and Mimamsa Darshana, does not believe in the doctrine of creation or a Creator, or an Ishvara, and yet believes in a divine Being for whom the Jainas build temples and conduct religious worships. What is the temples and conduct religious worships. What is the nature of their God whom they worship? He is worshipped because he is the Revealer of the path to salvation. One who reveals the path to salvation and leads man along that path towards the ultimate goal must certainly be adored.

What is the qualification of such a Leader and Revealer of the path to salvation? He must first of all be pure and free from all spiritual defects. How does he acquire such freedom from spiritual defects? Such freedom he acquires by completely eradicating and destroying all such root causes by adopting a strenuous path of spiritual discipline or yoga. He is able to destroy all infirmities associated with pure spiritual self. After destruction of all karmas by yogic dhyana and severe tapas he acquires, Omniscience. He becomes the Lord and the Revealer of Dharma. Being a sarvajna, an all-knowing Supreme Being, he qualifies himself to be the leader of Humanity. Directing man towards the goal of perfection, attaining omniscience and spiritual perfection for himself, he does not go self-satisfied. Since he is equipped with the supreme principle of Ahimsa, Universal Love, and unstinted reverence to life in general, the Lord, the Revealer of Truth, goes about the world preaching to people the spiritual truth that he achieved for himself. Such a divine person is interested in the welfare of all men irrespective of caste or race. Every person is entitled to learn truth. Therefore, the Jaina leaders of thought permitted all people irrespective of social distinctions to approach them for the acquisition of perfectly pure in himself, endowed with infinite knowledge an unbounded sympathy and love for all living beings is worshipped as the saviour of mankind. His spiritual purity is so sublime and grand that in his presence there is no evil or hatred. A tiger and a lamb move about in his presence without fear or ferocity. Such a divine person is worshipped by the Jainas as heir God. He who is the leader on the path of the salvation, he who is completely free from all karmas, and he who is all-knowing, such a person is worshipped by all.

The rules of conduct prescribed for the Jinas are all based upon the fundamental principles of Ahimsa or Universal Love. These are five in number. Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. Universal Love, Truth, Non-stealing, Sexual Purity and Renunciation of all possessions. These five principles are prescribed for both the Ascetics as well as Laymen, the householders. In the case of the ascetics, these five are called, Mahavratas, the five great vows which are to be observed absolutely without any limitation. In the case of the laymen or the householders, these are prescribed with qualifications and limitations. The first and the most important is Ahimsa or Universal Love. This positive principle implies expression of reverence for life without any limitation. All living beings deserve live and sympathy from man. Some people confine these to human beings alone. But in Jainism there is no such limitation. No life should be injured and a living being in suffering must obtain relief and safety from man. The present day practice among the Jainas is marked by a sincere endeavour to avoid harm to all living beings including insects. But the importance of man as such is almost forgotten by the modern Jainas. They have not realized the exact significance of Dharma Prabhavana, propounding the dharma in which the Tirthankara engaged themselves after obtaining Kevala jnana or Omniscience. In preaching Dharma they did not confine themselves to a selected few. There were no chosen people for the Tirthankaras. All person whether they were Suras or Asuras had equal opportunities of knowing the truth. Not privilege of knowing Ahimsa Dharma. It is clear that their object was to create a casteless society and also a classless society. The object of the founders of Jaina Dharma was to avoid as far as possible the economic distinction between the rich and the poor and the social distinction between the high and the low. These ideals have to be achieved by following the fifth vow prescribed for mankind, the vow of Aparigraha. The Jaina Ascetic according to this principle will not own any property as his own. Himself without any possession as his own, the ascetic depends upon the layman or the householder for his sustenance. Sustained by the society, the ascetic devotes his time and energy for promoting the cultural and spiritual development of society as a whole. The layman or the householder is the main stay of social organization. He maintains the economic stability of society. It is incumbent on him to see that wealth does not accumulate in a few hands. He must prevent poverty and misery in concentrated from. In order to secure such an economic harmony, he is expected to follow the main economic principle based upon the moral idea of setting apart a small portion of his wealth for himself and devoting the rest of his possessions for the benefit of the society as large. Such a principle when strictly followed as a moral ideal will successfully avoid accumulation of wealth on the one hand and concentration of poverty on the other, and will promote a healthy social organization based upon the principle of welfare of all human beings and the whole society. such an ideal when sufficiently promoted and practiced by all individuals will naturally lead to a social development, and there will be no possibility of a clash between Capitalism and Communism. In such a society there will be no clash between groups of people. Such a Society will be no clash between groups of people. Such a Society will create a condition of universal Peace and general happiness, but by right knowledge it can be made a necklace of opportunities. By repentance, by chasing away from the mind ill-begotten pleasures, by teaching others, one learns to follow the commandments and to walk the Inner Way. So instructs Sutrakrtanga Sutra.

Jainism and Science

By Dinesh Vora

An inquisitive man once came to Srimad Rajchandra and asked him, "Is the earth round like a dish or round like a ball as science claims?"

Srimad put a counter question to him, "Tell me how does it hurt you if it is round like a dish or round like a ball?"

The man said, "Well it really does not hurt me at all whatever way it is."

Srimad told him, "If it does not hurt you, then why don't you just trust the knowledge of Jineshwar Bhagwan which reallly effects you and get on with your work?"

The debate over the differences between Science and Jainism often times keeps bothering an honest Jain. A stiff stand based on blind faith against the proven and tested science does not lend credibility or an assurance to the future generation of Jains.

Jainism believes that only Kevalis and Teerthankaras possessed cent percent pure true knowledge. Teerthankaras communicated in their Samvasaranas or religious congregations through the divya dhwani or divine sound also known to be OMkar dhwani to the samsaari souls of the universe of one, two, three, four, or five senses. Though the divine sound could be felt and go through any soul of any language, or sense. However, interpretation and comprehension of what lord said depended on the capacity and stage of development of that individual soul. A copy from another copy is somewhat distorted and is not same as absolute original. A word round can very well be interpreted to be believed as the dish like round by the people of that time. Someone today is very likely to interpret it as a round like ball.

Science and Jainism are complementary to each other. With the changing times and better facts known through modern science, Jainism as we know will have to be flexible to stay credible, and reliable. We are not changing the original truth, we are only modifying our understanding and interpretation to align itself more with proven, tested, verified scientific data and facts.

It is also true that advancing science of today may prove itself inaccurate tomorrow. Jainism always asks its followers not to accept anything blindly but to thoroughly think, test, reason and experience the facts before accepting and implementing. Often times one has to ask himself "Have I understood the subject matter or what the other persons have been telling me correctly?" What if you misunderstood something and then twisted and misrepresented the fact, though ignorantly? The burden of accomplishing the absolute truth is entirely yours. The soul in its' search for that eternal blissful position will have to keep on acquiring knowledge until there is no doubt left in his mind. Even if that ultimate state of the soul may not be achievable in this lifetime, one can strive to accomplish the maximum true knowledge through true preceptors, true scriptures, conscientious self-effort and self-help.

It is known in many cases that great saints brought the knowledge of their past lives with them. It is the true knowledge that transmigrates with the soul and not the material world until that knowledge fully blossoms into Keval gnaan or state of Moksha.