Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

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RATNATRAYA OR THE THREE SPIRITUAL JEWELS
Most of the individual start their journey of life from the stage of mithyatva (wrong belief, see chapter 10) in which they are born. Wrong belief is the greatest enemy as it shuts out an individual from understanding the true nature of his self and makes him believe that the body and all that appertain to it in this material world are real, that the real happiness lies in making accumulations that make for a comfortable living. This type of living encourages vowless ways of life, with no self-control and self-restraint. Even where there is inclination towards a life of restraint, normal knowledge of the various vows which regulate life on the right path appears to be beyond comprehension.
There are great foes that attack us during the course of our Journey. The passions are the most powerful enemies that deprive us of our spiritual riches and reduce us to a state of poverty. The activities of the body, mind and speech are beset with many hurdles which add to the existing burden of karmas. Every individual who becomes aware, however vaguely, of the purity of the self would be anxious to know more about its nature and inquisitive to acquire the necessary knowledge for realizing his end.
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The central subject of every philosophy is the Paramatman who is called by different names and is described as possessed of different attribute. Jainism, as already discussed, does not believe in God as an almighty creator of the universe. Godhood is an ideal, a pure perfect soul whose attributes are infinite perception, knowledge, power and bliss; it is the condition of perfection and omniscience. Imperfection attached to the soul as we see in the universe is due to its association with karmic matter. Our joys and our sorrows, our friends and foes, our kith and kin and in short, all that mundane life stands for are of our own making, the fruits of Karmas that we accumulated in the past arising out of our own passions and activities of body, mind and speech.
How do we attain the state of purity and perfection? In describing the path to salvation or the moksa marga, each school of philosophy has emphasized that aspect which its propounder considered important. While some have emphasized the path of faith or devotion, others have emphasized the path of knowledge as supreme. There is a third school which has laid the greatest stress on action or conduct. Jainism has considered the problem from two points of view viz., Vyavahara-naya and Nischaya-naya.
Umasvami has stated: Samyag darsana jnana charitrani moksamargah. "Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct together constitute the path to salvation." The word samyak used therein qualifies not only faith but also knowledge and conduct. These three principles are called the Ratna-traya or the Three Spiritual Jewels by the Jaina thinkers.
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