Gems of Jainism

SR No.: 001803
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 142
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Articles, & Religion
File Size: 8 MB

Page 27

18
Gems of Jainism
for the emancipation or libertation is the third root cause. All Indian thinkers hold a common view that "ignorance of reality is the cause of our bondage; and liberation from this can not be acheived without the true knowledge of reality i.e. the real nature of the world and the self."* Moreover, Liberation or Moksha “has been regarded as the highest value and ultimate purpose of the life of the individual.", Jainism like other systems of Indian Philosophy accepts the concept of liberation or emancipation. But then Jainism believes in strong efforts to break the chains of Karma which is the cause of bondage. Jainism does not believe in a fruit-giver God, or God that will be pleased and will shower upon us all joy and power. The way to liberation is to make efforts for three-fold combination of RightFaith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.
As an off-shoot of this third cause, automatically follows the denial of God's Grace. Jainism does not believe in Divine Grace as Christianity and Islam and other Theistic theosophies believe. In Jainism, there is no realisation of one's unity with God, as it is in Vedanta philosophy. In Jainism, we find neither God, as an outside agency, nor God's grace as inevitably required to attain the salvation. And the last, but certainly not the least, in the series of the root causes is Jainism's Law of Karma. In Jainism, we find the extreme position of Law of Karma.
The term Karma in its most general and simple sense means "action". The law or doctrine of Karma means that all deeds, good or bad, physical or mental “produce their proper consequences in the life of the individual who acts”.10 It is founded on the simple law of cause and effect. No effect is without a cause, and one has to bear the fruits of his deeds, sooner or later. There is no escape from this. The law of Karma occupies a distinct place both in Indian Philosophy and in Indian Theology.It is known as Karma-Mārg (märg means path) or Karma-väda. But then it is found at its highest degree of minuteness and in its best form of preciseness in Jainism. To Jainas, “in fact, the science of Karma is the real science of Spirituality, in so far as it tries to unfold the real nature of spirit or self.”ı1 This extreme emphasis on Karma, its uncompromising