Jaina Gazette 1928

SR No.: 034890
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ajitprasad, C S Mallinath
Publisher: Jaina Gazettee Office
Publication Year: 1928
Total Pages: 502
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

Page 82

WHOM DO THE JAINS WORSHIP?
173
and developed, it must do all its work through matter. It cannot even think of itself but through matter. So long as it is in this degenerate condition, it must acquire Jnana through matter. You repeat the name of God and meditate upon His attributes through words representing those attributes. If you consider over the matter without any prejudice, you will agree that it is nothing but using a certain kind of image. Words are nothing but a sort of subtle matter. You write the word Brahma or Om on a piece of paper. What is this word Brahma or Om written on that piece of paper ? It is also a kind of image. In short, so long as you are in the worldly condition, you cannot avoid the use of image in your works whether they be worldly or religious.
The Jains, moreover, do not worship an image as the very God Himself. They do not, properly speaking, worship the image or the stone or metal of which the image is made ; they rather worship the attribute of Vitragta which is represented in that image. According to Jain principles, Parmatman is Vitrag and without this attribute Parmaiman cannot be all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful and all-happy. When the Atman first manifests Vitragta in himself, it is only then that the other above-named attributes become manifest and the Atma is turned into Parmatman, It is very essential for the former to contemplate upon Vitragta. Hence, in order to show the excellence of Vitragta to the worldly soul and to instruct it in this allimportant principle, Vitrag images of Tirthankara are placed in the Jaina temples. From eternity the worldly soul is involved in love, hatred and illusion, or ignorance and the attraction towards, and the repulsion from the worldly objects, do not let it see its true and real nature which is, Pure and Perfect Intelligence. The wine of illusion does not allow it to contemplate upon Paramatman Svarup. Hence, in order to purge the worldly Jiva of love, hatred and illusion and to create Vitragta therein, these are placed, in the Jain temples, the images of the Maha Rishis who have abandoned worldly pomp and grandeur,,having forsaken love and hatred from the good and bad objects of the world, having given up even the love
23 Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat