Page Text
________________
the relation between the two is like milk and water. Just as, even when they are mixed, milk is milk and water is water, so also the soul through the binding effect of its Karmas which confines it to the possession of one sense only, seems to have become stone or mere matter, but, in its essential nature, it is a soul and even in that state it possesses the instincts of hunger, fear etc., though they remain unmanifest.
Q.8.0 What is Arya Dharma? Do all Indian religions originate from the Vedas? A.8.1 In defining Arya Dharma, everyone has his own religion in view. Commonly a Jain describes Jainism, a Buddhist describes Buddhism and a Vedānti describes Vedanta as Ārya Dharma. Thus it has become a common practice. But seers describe only that Arya or noble path as Ārya Dharma which enables the soul to realize its true nature, and rightly so.
A.8.2 It is impossible that all religions had their origin in the Vedas. I know from experience that great souls like the Jain Tirthankars have revealed knowledge of a thousand times deeper import than what the Vedas contain. I, therefore, believe that, since something imperfect cannot be the origin of a perfect thing, we are not justified in asserting that all religions had originated from the Vedas. We may believe that Vaishnavism and other sects had their origin in the Vedas. It seems that the latter existed before the time of the Buddha and Mahavir, the last teacher of Jainism; it also seems likely that they are really ancient works. But we cannot say that only that which is ancient is true or perfect, or that what came later is necessarily untrue or imperfect. Apart from this, the ideas propounded in the Vedas and in Jain doctrines have existed from the beginning of time; only the outward forms changed. There is no totally new creation or absolute destruction. Since we may believe that the ideas propounded by the Vedas and in the doctrines of Jainism and
Gandhi & Jainism
Pg.289
| SR No. | 007798 |
| Book Title | Gandhi And Jainism |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shugan C Jain |
| Publisher | International School for Jain Studies |
| Publication Year | 2017 |
| Total Pages | 339 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 120 MB |