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JAINISM AND DEMOCRACY
believe in deity. But that deity is not God or any one eternally occupying the highest position. It is the ordinary soul itself with full expression of its patent energies. It is known as paramatmans, the holiest souls. An unlimited number of such souls is already in existence and it will go on increasing with the course of time. In a democratic rule, every body can attain the highest position. He can become the President or Prime Minister. Similarly in Jainism, every aspirant can became paramatman. The same is known as Arhat, the deity describing worship. .
Next we come to the priest. Every body who accepted five great vows of a monk becomes a priest in the order. There is no distinction of caste, sex or other external factors. Even a monk from Brahman family shall bow before that from the Shudra family in case the latter is senior in order. A number of highly respected monks belonging to chandāla family existed during the life period of Mahavira himself.
All rites of Jainas begin with a salutation of five offices or positions. No individual person is included there in. All positions are open to every body. The first two of them are associated with the deity; one with the deity in physical existence and the orther in pure spiritual existence. The remaining three are associated with the monk under struggle. They are of preceptor, teacher and the ordinary monk respectively.
A Jain worships the deity not for its pleasure or granting boons. According to Jainism, every person
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