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 275

Metaphysics, Ethics and Spiritual Development
247
or defiled conduct go well with his devotion to God, the pure par excel lence? How can there be the company, union or alliance of the impure soul with the absolutely pure one? There can never be the union of the impure devotee and the pure Lord. A devotee must purify his mind and conduct by means of devotion; then and then only he can unite with God. Devotion must result in the purity of conduct and character. In it alone lies the success and fulfilment of devotion.
And I even go to the extent of saying that if theism does not stand to reason and logic and remains unproved and unestablished, we should have ideal God installed in our heart and we should have faith in God. Idea-1 God or faith in God is necessary to give solace to human heart and to make human life dynamic. If God does not exist in the outer world, we should invent Him. Idea of God is powerful, it works for the betterment of mankind, it elevates man to greater and greater spiritual planes. On the basis of experience, we can confidently declare that one who surrenders to God and takes shelter in Him finds great solace, inspiration and peace. We need Him as an object of our devotion.
Faith (Sraddhā) To attain success in any work or undertaking three things are necessary, viz., sraddhā (faith), jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (activity). These three together constitute the path of liberation or success in any undertaking
Sraddha means firm faith backed by and associated with discretion. jñāna means knowledge. And to act in accordance with knowledge is caritra (conduct).
If a patient has faith in the efficacy of medicines, knows as to which medicine works effectively on the disease he is suffering from, and takes that medicine properly, then he can cure himself of the disease. Similarly, to be free from all miseries, or to attain eternal bliss or liberation, one should have faith that there must be the path leading to liberation or to the end of all miseries, should know the path and follow it. All the three are necessary. Bliss or liberation or freedom from all miseries can be
1. "The unity of heart, head and hand leads to liberation." This English saying too
teaches us that we can attain liberation with the help of the three, viz. darśana (śraddhāna-faith), jñāna (knowledge) and caritra (conduct). Thus it presents the same idea as is embodied in the aphorism 'samyagdarśana-jñāna-caritrāni mokşamārgaḥ (I.1, Tattvārthasūtra by Umāsvāti).