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

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Jaina Logic
Though human effort has to depend on time, nature, etc., it is the most efficient to bring victory to man. In the modern age, many wonderful things have been invented, viz., railway, motor-car, telegraph, wireless, phonograph, aeroplane, radio, atom-bomb (atomic energy), etc. They are widely used. And more and more new things are being invented. These inventions serve as brilliant instances of the efficacy of human effort. Individuals or nations that put forth great efforts make progress and attain prosperity and welfare. On the other hand, idle individuals and nations fall behind and degenerate on account of their lack of vigour and vitality, and consequently they become slaves of others and subject themselves to their oppressions. (If the achievements attained or inventions made by human effort are misused, it is the persons who misuse them that are at fault, and not the achievements or inventions. This is quite obvious.)
(5) Destiny (Niyati)
Destiny means that the future is unalterable. The future is as unalterably fixed as the past. Future events will take place without fail. What is to happen will certainly happen. The course of future events cannot be changed. It is firmly fixed. Rich and ready crop is standing. And suddenly it gets destroyed by frost-fall, attack of locusts or some other unavoidable natural calamity. This illustrates the working of destiny. Suddenly one falls seriously sick or some such powerful obstruction crops up at a very critical time when one is just about to reap the fruits of one's sincere efforts. In this way, one is deprived of one's just fruits. This is another instance of destiny. One wins in lottery or speculation and suddenly becomes a very rich person. This incident is also attributed to destiny. Destiny can be regarded as identical with the unalterable karma, a special type of karma. In the Jaina terminology, it is called 'nikācita karma'. The nikācita karma is that which is mostly unalterable and which most certainly causes the experience of pleasure or pain to the concerned soul at the time of its fruition. The fruit or result of such type of karma being niyata
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powers of labour and endurance, and stimulating into life faculties which might otherwise have lain dormant."-S. Smile's Self-help
"Slumber not in the tents of your fathers. The world is advancing. Advance with it."-Mazzini.