Bondage and Freedom

Author(s): Chitrabhanu
Publisher: Divine Knowledge Society

Page 77

4. ESSENCE AND SPIRIT OF JAINISM
It is customary with us to commence our day and work with a brief prayer and I will do so now.
मैत्रीप्रमोदकारुण्यमाध्यस्थ्यानि । सत्त्वगुणाधिकक्लिश्यमानाविनयेषु ॥
The prayer just recited is a prayer offered by the Jains. I have prayed that our conduct in life be guided by four principles --Maitri, i.e. Amity, Pramoda, i.e. Appreciation, Karunya, i.e. Compassion and Madhyasthya, i.e. Equanimity. Amity, Appreciation, Compassion and Equanimity.
I shall endeavour to explain these at a later stage in my discourse.
Today, man lives in a world which is full of strife and frustration. Commercial values keep gaining prominence. Men seem to be full of greed, envy and pride. Not only do we try to keep up with the Joneses but we try to reach out for their throats. There is a sense of isolation within human beings and hateinspiring ideologies keep gaining more ground. Our different faiths have a common aim—to make us realise the essential brotherhood of man. In practice they make us more aware of the divisions among us.
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