Jain Journal 1997 01

SR No.: 520125
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 31
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 2 MB

Page 29

96 JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXI, No. 3 January 1997 Christians maintain that it is attainable by having faith in Jesus. According to Judaism, self-reliance alone leads one to arrive at salvation, whereas it is reached solely by God's grace according to Christianity. Unificationists offer a view that salvation, which is attainable by attending to the Messiah through abiding in His word, comes from God's grace together with man's self-reliance. As regards the Messiah, Moses is a political emancipator as well as the coming Messiah in Judaism, in which he is vested with a functional meaning. For Christians, however, Jesus Christ is a redeemer, free from original sin; thus he is vested by them with an ontological meaning. Unificationists consider that the Messiah is both, a redeemer and a political emancipator coming in the position of Adam. Finally, the Messiah is an exemplary leader of people for Judaists, whereas he is, for Christians, a redemptive personage who extends His salvation to everyone all one-sidedly. Unificationists maintain that he has both characteristics. Now, let us examine the position of Jainism in the context of this chart. Jainas say that man arrives at liberation by abiding in their rigorous law, through ascetic performance of ahimsa, solely relying on his own capacity. The Messiah-like personage for Jainas is a Tirthankara, who is, like an Arhat of Hinayana Buddhism, an exemplary figure in reaching the level of perfection ahead of us. The Twenty-four Tirthankaras are expected to appear periodically in each boundless cosmic period, and Mahavira is regarded as the Twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the present cosmic period. Tirthankaraship is thus vested by Jainas with a functional meaning. He is not, however, a political emancipator nor a redeemer. He is a religious leader who teaches us, in the most exemplary manner, how to get out of the cycle of rebirth by exerting his efforts. This position of Jainism must be likewise shared by Hinayana Buddhism, while Mahayana Buddhism and Vaisnavism must be sharing the same ground with Christianity. A brief examination made above discloses that Jainism and Judaism stand in a comparable position in the context of providential history, despite the fact that they belong to totally different systems of religion in time and space. It means that they shouldered comparable responsibilities in their own historical places, and have made each of Bruhn could some day develop this idea into a systematic representation of Jaina ethics. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere thankfulness to Prof. Bruhn, who kindly read this paper and supplied me with valuable information, comments and opinions.