What is Jainism

SR No.: 006714
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain
Total Pages: 210
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 11 MB

Page 15

WHAT IS JAINISM
(6) The inflow of fresh matter being checked, the next step is to remove the bonds one by one. This is called nirjara. When all the bonds are broken asunder, and the soul is freed from all its crippling relations with matter, it enjoys its natural freedom and bliss and omniscience.
(7) The seventh and the last tattva is naturally the ideal of perfection, that is, freedom, immortality and bliss, which the soul attains to on freeing itself from all its bonds.
Such is the nature of the essential principles or tattvas. To recapitulate briefly, Jainism maintains that all living beings in the universe are conscious entities possessed of fulness and perfection and capable of manifesting them by self-exertion in the right direction. Their natural perfection, which includes immortality, omniscience, infinite energy and infinite bliss, is marred by the operation of their own karmas, that is, of the different kinds of forces engendered in the soul in conjunction with matter by its own actions. Hence, all that the soul has to do is to check the further influx of karmic matter, and to destroy its bonds. The moment this can be done its svabhavic perfection will be attained, and freedom, immortality and bliss enjoyed. There is no question of begging or bargaining with any one in this system, and it is noteworthy that it is absolutely impossible for any outside agency to confer either the immortality, the bliss, or the perfection which the soul is hankering after, and ceaselessly tries to obtain from its surroundings. The whole thing is a question of the law of causes and effects.
Jainism does not, for the foregoing reason, offer devotion to any being or beings in the hope of obtaining bliss, immortality or perfection from them. These are already the natural properties of the soul, and cannot possibly be had from outside. Hence Jainism does not recognize the God of popular theology, but urges the aspirant soul to worship the feet of the Perfected Siddhas in the same way as one would show reverence to a teacher. The greatest Teacher is certainly entitled to the greatest amount of reverence, and no teacher can certainly be greater than the Omniscient Tirthamkaras who not only knew all things, but the perfection of whose knowledge is also fully demonstrated by the fact that it enabled Them to attain the fullest degree of perfection.