Jaina Philosophy and Religion

SR No.: 001604
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 500
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Epistemology
File Size: 12 MB

Page 153

Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
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and just manner so that our journey may become easy. But they are to be accepted as means (or intermediary ends) and not as an ultimate end. If a man does not regard the state of non-attachment as an ultimate end and considers the one which is useful as a mere means to be the ultimate end, then he is doomed, he cannot be saved whatever efforts he may make and whatever wealth he may spend
Bhāvapujā consists in the meditation on the spiritually wholesome qualities, firm resolve to remove the defiling bad qualities and to cultivate the purifying good qualities, actual sincere efforts to exterminate the former and to develop the latter. Thus, bhāvapūjā inspires man to build up good character and to live an honest and just life; it ennobles and elevates his life. This is the objective of bhāvapujā. And in the fulfilment of this objective, bhāvapūjā achieves its proper end.
The Jainas are worshippers not of any individual supreme soul, but of his pure qualities. All souls which manifest these pure qualities are equally regarded by the Jainas as supreme souls and hence worthy of man's worship. Thus, these pure qualities themselves constitute the supreme ideal or the highest goal. The first sentence of the most sacred Jaina formula? called 'Namokkāra' ('Namaskāra', 'Navakara') is 'namo arihamtānam ('I bow before the Destroyer of (internal) enemies'). In it there occurs no mention of a proper name of any individual supreme soul; therein an obeisance is offered to the entire class of the individual supreme souls who have destroyed the internal enemies like attachment, aversion, etc.
mariy intermediary products (effects) like cotton, yarn, etc., have come into existence
in due order. 1. There is no doubt that the virtuous individual is also worshipped, not as an individual
but through his virtues. It is the virtues that are really worshipped through the worship of the virtuous. The worship of the virtues is heightened through the worship of the virtuous. And the worship-of-the-virtuous in the form of the worship-of-thevirtues enables the worshipper to deeply reflect and meditate on the pure virtues. As a matter of fact, the virtuous is worshipped through virtues, and the virtues are
worshipped through the virtuous. 2. In this sacred formula, through the five sacred words, viz., arihaṁta, siddha, ācārya,
upādhyāya and sādhu obeisances are offered to the destroyers of (internal) enemies, the perfected beings, the spiritual leaders and guides, the preceptors and the saints. These five words refer to qualities, they do not refer to any individual. Similarly, even in the two formulas of fourfold refuge (catuh-sarana) and fourfold auspiciousness or good (mangala-catustaya) the four terms viz., arihamta, siddha, sādhu and kevanprajñaptadharma (the dharma, i.e., Religion propounded by the Omniscient) have reference to qualities and not to any individual.