Basic Principles Of Jainism

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

Page 76

Truth is the virtue of the pure; it is simple and free from bitterness or arrogance; it does not suffer from the weakness of falsehood or scandal. A truthful man is always gentle but firm; he does not waver in his talk because he is free from fear or anger.
Truth always triumphs. It wins the confidence and trust of others. It forms the basis of good deeds in the world. Without it, there can be no real progress of the individual or the community at large.
Utterance of truth should be avoided where the result is likely to bring harm to another. It should also be avoided where it is likely to be the cause of misfortune to another. Those who speak the truth must do it in sweet words so as not to irritate others.
The Uttaradhyayana Sutra speaks of bhava-staya, karana-satya and yoga-satya which respectively mean sincerely of mind, sincerity of religious practices and sincerity of action. Sincerity of thought or truthfulness purifies the mind and helps the individual fully in the practice of religion. Sincere practice of religion frees the individual from accumulated Karmas and stops the influx of new ones. Truthful actions produce happiness and love. 5) Uttma Saucha or Supreme Purity
Purity cleanses the mind from craving and greed and begets contentment and equanimity, Purity or cleanliness of external body without the corresponding internal purity serves no purpose. Internal purity is often obscured by anger, greed, pride and infatuation. Real purity of the soul consists in getting rid of all these weaknesses which are the sources of all misery in the world. The self is different from the body; and cravings of the senses should never be allowed to defile the purity of the soul.
Perfect faith and knowledge are essential for the purity of mind and thought. Without them, the cravings of existence, of the senses, of the body and of enjoyment are likely to mislead us from the right path. Purity cannot be achieved unless these are controlled and subdued. Every fall from the path of Ahimsa, truth, honesty, celibacy and non-attachment results in defilement of the soul and therefore hastens the influx of new karmas. So the observance of the five vows is the sine quo non for purity of soul.
In normal life man gets busy in the acquisition of wealth and power since he considers that they will help him in the acquisition of all the luxuries of life for worldly enjoyment. In doing so, he has to indulge in activities which involve him into passionate and impure thought. He becomes unmindful of the harm he causes in gaining his selfish ends; be invites hatred from others and creates bitterness. Life becomes turmoil and he loses his balance of mind in struggle. He begins to think ill of him. There would be bad blood and both sides giving birth to a sense of vengeance against each other.
We can realize the goal of life by acquisition of purity of life by self-control and conquest of desires and cravings, so that the body can only be an instrument for purification of soul. 6) Uttama Samyama or Perfect Self-restraint
Abstinence from injurious thoughts and actions and from entertainment of sensual thoughts, or restraint from indulgence in sensual pleasures is self- restraint. This stops the influx