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 91

Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
63
power to discriminate true God from false God, true teacher from false teacher, and true religion from false religion. He can easily identify true God, true teacher and true religion. It is so because he has right standards to determine true God, true teacher and true religion. He has no misconceptions, nor preconceived wrong notions regarding God, teacher and religion.
Let us here recall the essential characteristics of God, teacher and religion.
Essential Characteristics of God Call him God or Highest Soul, the meaning is the same. The characteristics of God or the Highest Soul have already been shown. The following verse, while describing the nature of God, states:
sarvajño jitarāgādidosas trailokyapūjitah / yathästhitārthavādī ca devo'rhan parameśvaraḥ // Translation: That (embodied) soul who is omniscient, free from all defilements like attachment, aversion, etc., worshipped by all the three worlds and preaches reality as it is, is called God.
Essential Characteristics of the teacher mahāvratadhară dhīrā bhaiksamātropajivinah / sāmāyikasthā dharmopadeśakā guravo matāḥ //. Translation: The saints who observe five great vows, viz., non-violence etc., are adorned with spiritual quality of calmness and firmly established in equanimity, live on begging alms, and preach religion as it is, are called teachers.
Essence of Religion
pañcaitāni pavitrāni sarvesām dharmacārinām/ . ahiṁsā satyam asteyam brahmacaryam alobhatā// Translation: Non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence and
1. Ibid., II. 4 and 8. 2. Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence and non-possession. 3. Acārya Haribhadra's 13th Astaka.