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HERITAGE OF LORD MAHAVIRA:
So far, we have considered the important aspect of the Pratyakhyana of Himsa, that is, Injury, or the Vow of Non-Violence. It offers a precaution against the incurring of new latent suffering by deliberately abstaining from actions which are likely to cause injury to others.
It has its counterpart in the attempts of securing new latent happiness, by furthering the well-being of others. Of course, there is no hope of gaining genuine happiness, that is, happiness absolutely pure and unhampered, as long as the soul is infested by particles of Karma of either kind. Even so, a certain amount of good Karma is a necessary condition in order to secure an adequate bodily and mental constitution. For, it is from the basis of such constitution alone that a struggle against the hampering particles of bad Karma can be successfully, taken up.
Good Karma is believed to be secured by acts of charity, hospitality and selfless service. And here, too, a gradation of objects can be observed. It is, of course, meritorious to practise charity wherever our heart is moved to compassion. It is meritorious to build the Pinjarapoles - Animal Houses-for the relief of poor sick animals, as it is meritorious to provide the poor and the hungry with bread, people suffering from cold with clothes, and homeless ones with a roof over their heads. Still nothing can come up to the service done to a poor pious brother in the following of Mahavira. The more he comes up to the ideal laid down in the Scriptures, the higher is considered to be the merit of serving him. This explains the remarkable zeal with which one can see the Sravakas, the Jaina laymen, hasten to
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com