________________
1909)
Jainism.
(327
such that all life is regarded as sacred, and that to ignore or crush auy form of life is nothing short of arrogance and false teaching, (Arlat, Guru, and Dharma). .
He who wishes to be " a law unto hiniself,” to run' his own life, wishes so to ruu it that pre-determined effect shall be brought about, and believing that in the true nature of the soul there is no misery, ignorance, or weakness, he wills to do only those things which bring out the true nature of the soul, . namely, blissfulness, knowledge, and strength, and he wills to avoid those acts which bring misery, ignorance and weakness. In other words, he makes a "will" of his own (Vratas).
Then the theory seems to be that one who appreciates knowledge, memory, or any quality of the soul, will take pains to nurture it wherever it is found, and not to destroy it either. in hinìself or in any living being. The theory seems to be that, if I do an act which is calculated to cause ignorance, for instance, in another being, I make and use a force which will have the function of nature of causing ignorance, and as it is I who generate or fashion this force, it is I who am in combination with such a machine so to speak, it will in its operation prevent me from knowing, at some time or other, some kind of knowledge or other. (This is Karma if I understand it correctly).
Another useful fact is, that one's present circumstances can be used to further one's spiritual development, one does not need to wait a single moment before one can begin, but of course one has to estimate his position in the scale of development, and follow rules suitable to that stage:
Another most useful theme as it were is the view that all there is in the universe is 'I' and that wlich is not I. I am as I actually anı at present, ignorant, weak, etc, because some of the 'not-I' is fused or blended in with me, a foreign element which has no business to be in me at all and which fiom one point of view is no part of we. Now, what is to be done ? This foreign stuff is continually being attracted to myself by myself, and getting assimilated into my being; the