Concept of Divinity in Jainism

SR No.: 001637
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P Ajay Kothari
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 248
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Devotion
File Size: 15 MB

Page 238

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EACH MAN IS A POTENTIAL GOD (DIVINITY)
The work "The Concept of Divinity with special reference to Jainism" throws a light on principles of Divinity in the Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism.
Divinity in Hinduism refers to a Host of Gods and Goddesses such as Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, Ganesa. Rama, Krsna, Agni, Megha, Durga. Kali etc. Hinduism, a monotheistic religion, considers God as creator, sustainer and destroyer of Universe. While Buddhism and Jainism, non.theistic religions, do not consider God as a crea. tor, sustainer and destroyer but lay emphasis that each man is potential God(Divinity).
Those who believe God as a creator. sustainer and destroyer of universe. look upon Jainism as an atheistic religion, but Jainism cannot be so called. As such jainism does not deny the existence of God (Paramatma).
According to the Jaina faith, God is an All-knowing, with the eterna! happiness, a pure and perfect soul without any material body, a being that cannot perish or become degenerate. Pure soul and God are in reality one and the same thing, and the final goal of any particular soul is to become pure and perfect. In other words, to become a God with all the attributes of Divinity which, in the Jaina faith do not include creating, sustaining and destroying.
According to Jainism, every soul has existed from eternity; and from eternity souls have ever been merging from the ordinary embodied worldly condition into the pure condition, and will continue for all time to do so; but they never come down from this condition of Divinity to the condition of souls in the ordinary embodied states.
The ordinary embodied soul has been indulging in false at. tachment and aversion to worldly things; ignorant of its own self. nature(Nijaswabhava) and by reason of this indulgence it is never at ease. Upon the abandonment of this attachment and aversion the soul becomes calm and tranquil, and when completely free from the influence of these unnatural activities the soul has its own natural self and becomes all-knowing eternal happiness. There