Introduction to Jainism and its Culture

SR No.: 001605
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Balbhadra Jain
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 334
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Culture
File Size: 21 MB

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involved in manipulating material things. I make efforts to acquire such things that I believe to be sources of pleasure for my sense organs. I try to push away things that I believe to be sources of pain for my sense organs irrespective of their being material or sentient. I experience joy and pain or happiness and sorrow in these activities only. I have become dogmatic in my belief that material things alone give me pleasure; I cause pleasure and pain to others; I benefit or harm others. I do so out of ignorance and fondness. I always ignore the fact that every substance is independent. No substance transforms some other substance. No material or sentient thing can give me pleasure or pain. I cannot give happiness or sorrow, life or death, joy and pain to anyone. Happiness and sorrow are consequences of good or bad karma: good or bad attitudes. In this process outside things have the role of external efficient cause and not that of the perpetrator. If I understand correctly this mutual relationship of external efficient cause and effect
ances, many of my confusions and misconceptions could be removed. Then I will not accept any outside agency to be the perpetrator of my happiness and sorrow. Instead, I will consider my own self to be responsible for fruition of my good and bad karmas and their consequences. In the same way I will not consider myself to be the perpetrator of happiness and sorrow of others. Only this belief will be right and rational. I will get many direct benefits due to this belief. Such as -
(1) I cause pleasure or pain to others or make others happy or miserable, this belief used to fan my ego. I will be free of that conceit.
(2) I believed that other material or sentient things caused pleasure or pain to me or made me happy or sad. This filled me with feelings of helplessness and dejection. If I believe that some sentient being has caused me pleasure or pain I will have feelings of attachment or aversion for it. I would think of favouring or harming it. However, if I have the right belief I will neither have feelings of helplessness or dejection nor those of attachment or aversion. In such condition I will neither be pleased, nor dejected. Thus I will be able to avoid rising of passions within me.
(3) I will derive a spiritual and psychological benefit from this belief. Till now I used to look at others for my progress, development, and wellbeing. The God will make me cross the ocean of rebirths or the
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