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The Jaina world of Non-living
Prologue
A western scholar has remarked that Jainism and Hinduism are the only two religions in the world whose origins can not be traced through they have had different names in the course of time. In the cyclic universe, Jainism is stated to be the natural and eternal religion with modifications time with the times. It aims at the smooth physical and spiritual progress and welfare of all the living beings, thus, leading to the overall increase in the happiness of the world. As per G.P. Jain, Jainism has a history of roughly six thousand years.
The Jainas form a minority community in Indian population. However, they have an over-proportionate contribution to the Indian culture (and world culture also) in the fields of different branches of knowledge like (i) physical and spiritual sciences (2) art and architecture (3) iconography and temple structure (4) cosmology and astronomy and the like. They have all the three factors to claim it as universal religion : (1) propounders (2) literature and (3) Comparative supremacy, (1) They have Tirthankars (ford-makers) sermonizing the three-fold path of right faith(F), knowledge (K) and conduct (C) for ultimate happiness of the self and the world. They have also given us the three-fold path of non-violence (N), non-absolutism (N) and Non-attachment (N,)for running a better spiritual progress. They have instructed the triad of sweating (S,), self-sufficiency (S,) and (iii) sameness (S.) for having a better society. When these paths are followed, their result is multiplicative rather than additive.
(1) Right (F + K + C) = Right (F.K.C) (2) N, + N, +N = N.N,N,
(3) S, +S,+S, =S,.S.S, (2) All of these principles have an universal appeal. These are contained in its pre-Christian and post-Christian voluminous literature in Ardhamāgadhi praksta and sansksta language and now even in non-Indian languages like English, German, French and Japanese. It has given Jainism a popularity throughout the world.
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