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THE MESSAGE OF JAINISM coloured sarees glittering with gold. Still he knows in his heart that his god dwells high beyond all this. He knows too that all this devotion, this pious service is nothing but an expression of his own admiration for his chosen ideal. It is, in truth, nothing but a means to bring this ideal closer before his eyes and the eyes of the world, both of whom are pretty well in need of it.
Jainahood, in spite of its undiminished attractiveness as an ideal-or perhaps just on account of it, shares the fate of all other great ideals. As such, it remains high above the physical and mental standards of its admirers. and followers. And even the Jaina monkhood whic his but the reflection of this exalted ideal on the rough mirror of actual life, is high above the standard of the average man. Owing to the frailty of human nature and the diversity of human dispositions, it will always remain restricted to a few choice individuals, wanderers, as it were, on the heights of humanity. It must be remembered that institutions of Jainism take into account the world as it really is and humanity as it really is. Accordingly, the Scriptures offer no final answer to the question as to what would become of the universe, if all the people would turn monks. Hence it will always remain doubtful whether the venerable sage was right, who replied to the idle questioner that in such a case the good Karmas of mankind would cause wish-trees to grow and streams of nectar to flow and gods to descend from their heavenly abodes to serve at the feet of men.
But even if it is not possible for everybody to come up to that ideal, still to recognize it as a worthy ideal and to
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
