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 201

Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development
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attains the state of absolute non-attachment; at that time absolutely pure and divine (spiritual) love--which is the supreme light of non-violenceembraces all beings, and so long as the absolutely non-attached Lord lives among the people (in his embodied state), he makes the best use of it in allaying miseries of worldly beings and in imparting soothing and soulpurifying knowledge to them. This is the reason why he is praised as a brother, friend and lover of all beings.
Grace of God 'It is all God's grace that we are healthy, our intellect functions rightly, we think good thoughts, we perform virtuous activities, and we are happy and peaceful'. This is what people say. Even the Jainas say so. And there is nothing wrong in it. Good speech of this type evinces great humility. Such words uttered sincerely and consciously free us from pride. This attitude nourishes our humility towards God and our devotion to Him and rouses in our heart devotional love so much so that we intensely desire to be His true devotee and to sit at His feet in great reverence.
On the other hand, from the rational standpoint we feel that supremely beneficial and good God is so non-attached and equanimous, so unstained and neutral that He can never indulge in the diplomacy of doing good to some and causing harm to others. Man attains good or evil according to his own merits and demerits acquired through his past actions. It is he who has to achieve welfare and well-being by his own efforts. It is he who has to carve out his own future or destiny. It is he who has to work out his own salvation. It is an established and self-evident truth that certainly God's grace is always there for all without any discrimination; He always wishes that without any exception let all be healthy and happy and have good intellect, good thoughts and good conduct. So if man were to attain happiness and peace and become righteous simply on account of God's grace, then as He bestows His grace equally on all, all should at once simultaneously become righteous and happy. But in reality this does not happen. Even though God's natural grace is all-embracing and equally showered on all, some are happy while others are unhappy, some are righteous while others are wicked, some are progressive while others are retrogressive, some are attended with good fortune while others are attended with misfortune, so on and so forth; so we should understand that one's happiness or misery, good fortune or misfortune, righteousness or wickedness, rise or fall, etc., depend on one's own activities. Man's