Aspect of Jainology Part 1 Lala Harjas Rai

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 74

Religion of Man
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remember that he is a member of the Human family first and foremost and thereafter a follower of this or that religion. Religion is the Way of life that leads man to his ultimate goal. Since there is Uniformity in the Spiritual teachings of all religions, it is up to man to act in accordance with them in his life. Human life is replete with experiences-both good and bad-which go to make up man's fund of knowledge. Religion too is a matter of experience, resulting in the consciousness of the Highest Truth in which all that exists finds its ultimate refuge.
Three Fundamental Principles
If one probes into the ultimate Truth one will find that the essential teachings of all religions are the same, though they have been expressed in different words. This Truth is the true Religion of Man. Its foundations have been laid on the following three fundamental principles:
(1) Be good and do good-this will make for Character.
(2) Develop non-attachment and unselfishness--this will make for Personality. An integrral personality has to be built up on the sound foundation of Self-sacrifice.
(3) To acquire Supreme Knowledge is man's highest privilege; in fact, it is his ultimate goal. This will give him Freedom; it will make him One with the all-informing universal Spirit, also called 'God'.
To acquire such knowledge is to develop that consciousness in man which alone can give him a complete answer to the Whys and Wherefores of life on earth, viz. why a man takes birth and what is his ultimate goal ? This will also solve for man the mystery of God and creation.
The above principles can be briefly amplified as under :
'To work you have a right but not to the fruit thereof', because you have no control over the latter. Man is free to act; he can act as he likes, but the fruit of his actions is not in his hands or within his power. Actions of one individual react on the actions of other individuals and vice versa. The inevitable effect of action and reaction is always there and willy-nilly we are mutually affected by it. Man's actions do not cease to be effective till they have borne fruit. No power of Nature can stop an action from bearing its fruit. There are some actions which bear fruit instantaneously. If the hand is put into the fire it will get burnt,