Mahavira Smruti Granth Part 01

SR No.: 010530
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamtaprasad Jain, Others
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Society Agra
Total Pages: 363
Language: Hindi
Classification: Smruti_Granth
File Size: 9 MB

Page 239

T, K, TUKOL
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sationalism came to hold sway in philosophy as in religion, the doctrine of a kind and almighty creator governing the Universe is fast losing hold. I was amused to find Mrs. Stevenson yriting that "the Jain believe strongly, in the duty of forgiving others, and yet have no hope of forgiveness, from a Higher Power for themselves" It is indeed regrettable to find this observation in the last chapter, of her book. "The Heart of Jainism", which indicates that she had approached the subject without any heart to find out the truth about the religion. While Jainism refuses to recognise a Creator God and a Protector God, it has offered the highest and the most potent solution for evils of living beings by propounding that each soul possesses the inherent potser of attaining to that state of liberation where omniscience and infinite bliss spould eternally mark out the destination (moksha ). "Thou art thine own master" is a doctrine of supreme potentiality and consolation. I cannot see whether there could be better" grace" or stronger heart many religion. This teaching of the Jain religion must have come to the Indian people as bringing in the freedom of thought even in the field of reli' gion which hitherto had been blocked and monopolised by the Brahmanical priesthood as their special province.
7. In ancient India, "whoever desires paradise, should sacrifice" WAS a common preaching and sacrifices and slaughter in the name of religion were very common. Jainism raised a revolt against this misnomer of a scligion popularised by a selfish priestly class, and established equality and sacredness for all lives and in all states. Probably the old ideas had been based on a,wrong concept of the soul. The Aryans appear to have believed that after death every soul exists in the same sbadowy form 12 some higher region and the same idea seems to have dominated the citualistic part of the Vedic religion which preached the performance of Shrädha or the offering of obletions to the departed as a primary duty of a house-holder. As Dr. Jacobi concluded one of his learned discussion," the concept of immortal souls is entirely absent in the Brābmanas and the oldest Upanishads." A clear concept of the Jīva and Ajira was given by Jamism. The Jainas recognised that while jiya was essentially intelligent and free, its contact with matter was responsible for the various bodies that keep it in bondage. The classification of the jivas into ckendriya, dwr-indriya etc. was not easily appreciated by the other religions until modem science dernonstrated that even plants have a sensient life resembling our own. Still more astounding is the analytical theory of pudgala or matter existing in atomical state, either bådara (gross) or subsma (subtle) each occupying some pradesh or space. It is worth a detailed study to compare the modern theories of clectrons with the minute classification which this religion formu.
lated long ago.
8. To my mind, this scentific and analytical approach to the study and In the propagation of religion was the most significant contribution