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CHAPTER 13
FOUR AND TWENTY ELDERS
According to Jainism, both the world and religion are eternal, but while the world continues without a break in its continuity, religion is periodically lost and re-discovered by men. All sciences are eternal, whether we know them or not is not the question. Therefore eternity remains unaffected by our knowledge. The science of Salvation, too, has always been in existence, sometimes known to man, sometimes not known on this earth. In every cycle of time of very many millions of years, twenty-four Great Teachers arise. They are termed Tirthamkaras, and They teach and preach the Truth, leaving Their example, Their teaching and Their footprints for those who care to follow them on the path. They are all men who have attained to the full realization of divinity and omniscience; They have no private loves or hatreds or personal motives of any kind left in Them, and Their knowledge is simply all-embracing and perfect. Besides Thema an innumerable company of Perfect Men also arise during the cycle: These also teach the Truth to a certain extent to mankind, but preaching is not Their mission in life in the same way as it is that of the Tirthamkaras.
The Jainas worship images of the Tirthamkaras, but not by way of idolatry; the Tirthamkaras are the ideals of Perfection for the imagination of man, and are to be " honoured," as we would honour the highest.
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