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JAINISM AND THE WAY TO SPIRITUAL REALIZATION*
Dr. INDRA CHANDRA SHASTRI, M.A., Ph.D.
I
Modern man has begun to realize that humanity is suffering not so much from scarcity or the ravages of nature as from its own inner conflicts, its pride and prejudices and its convictions based on mere caprice. It is time we thought not only of famines and scarcities but also of the complexes that narrow man's outlook and divide humanity even when natural barriers have lost their significance. We shall have to rise above conceit, jealousy, hatred, greed for power and domination and other such passions and to learn to think of the welfare not only of ourselves or of a particular group but of humanity; rather, of every being possessing life. The way to spiritual realization means the way to conquer our complexes and passions.
The schools of Indian philosophy hold different views regarding the nature of realization. But they are at one not only in prescribing a way to reach it but also in the salient features of that way. The scope of this paper is not sufficient for a comparative study. Here I shall only try to show the way to realization as prescribed by Jainism.
*We publish here, condensed to meet our space limitations, the first half of the paper on this subject prepared by Dr. Indra Chandra Shastri, M.A., Ph.D., and sent for the joint celebration of Mahavira Jayanti Week by the Indian Institute of Culture and the Jain Mission Society, Bangalore, in April 1954.
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