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TIIE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
who are born elsewhere. But although it is not in our power to undo the effect of the past karmas, in so far as it has brought about the present birth, it is certainly in our power to destroy its remaining force by the acquisition of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct--the three priceless jewels of the Jaina Philosophy.
Terrible is the fate of those who not only are in ignorance of the real truth themselves, but who, also, convert others to their erroneous vierys. The value of religion does not depend on the numbers that acknowledge its supremacy. The whole world may be ignorant of truth, yet it is inconceivable that truth itself be any the worse for the ignorance of men. Numbers are only useful to him who has nothing better or higher to aim at than show. Religion loses all its potency in the hands of those who only go about converting others to their views, but who otherwise care little for living it themselves. The very nature of religion is opposed to such treatment. It is the system which undertakes to cure the soul of the spiritual breakdown, consequent on the absorption of the poison of ignorance and evil karmas, and it is inconceivable how without the practising of rigid disciplinary austerities on the part of its followers, its case can differ from that of a quack whose sole interest lies in increasing the number of his patients, irrespective of the question whether they are cured of their ailments or not.
Jainism points out that the true Teacher must possess no less than eighteen divine qualifications, which are enumerated on pages 60 and 61 of Mr. Warren's “Jainism." The most prominent ones of these are :
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