Book Title: Compassion and Passions Author(s): Jayantilal Jain Publisher: Jayantilal Jain View full book textPage 2
________________ passions is considered good or bad depending on one's relative views guided by times, areas, faiths/beliefs in systems and environment where one lives and so on. Social, economic, political and religious conditions dictate the type of good or bad passions one may have, for and against certain passions. Passions are generated temporarily and there is no absolute standard of measurement, as their interpretations are highly relative. By wrong beliefs and repeated habit of such inclinations for passions, one becomes prey to temptations/passions and the mind wanders astray. The deluded one (wrong believer) turns his face away from the real knowledge of the self and nature, being engrossed in satisfying passions by means of senses. He wrongly believes his body to be his soul. The state of mind leads to type of passions one has and is responsible for bondage. It can make a heaven a hell and a hell, a heaven. In a dynamic manner, whatever the mind desires, it achieves. One will become whatever he wishes depending on good or bad passions. Therefore, Lord Mahavir taught how to subdue passions, conqueror passions and contemplate on the supreme soul ever blissful, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent by its knowledge. This is the only unalterable and unchangeable law of the Universe. Compassion - What we generally term as compassions in terms of kindness, forgiveness, pardon, sympathy, empathy, concern, fellow-feelings, pity, mercy, sorrow for sufferings of another, tolerance, non-violence, appreciation of others views, assistance to others in case of man-made or natural disaster or tragedies etc. are not real compassions as these have temporary effects and do not provide a lasting solution to human problems. These have soothing impact temporarily but do not cure for good. Suppose one provides food to a hungry person, it solves only that day's problem. What next? Similarly, some medical assistance given to an injured person may help him but does not insure him against death or next injury. If one tolerates wrong beliefs of someone, it does not help either as both are under delusion. The impact will be that both will suffer from infinite cycle of births and deaths. Briefly stated, this concept of compassion as is commonly understood, has no absolute standard measurement to judge whether it is good or beneficial ultimately and hence, becomes a relative concept and is not an absolute one. At best, it is nice and good to be compassionate and this has only temporary relevance. There are innumerable ways in which one can control/overpower passions temporarily. Some ways are indicated below to overcome them in our daily life. 1. If one has not done any wrong to others, there is no harm in seeking forgiveness or forgetting the same as such passion is of no consequence. 2. If one has done harm to others, it is proper to seek forgiveness and there need not be any hesitation for the same. 3. If the other person has hurt/done harm to me, why should I take the law into my hands and take revenge. He will be punished for his misdeeds either in this life or next. 4. The other person has only hurt me or my feelings. He could have done or could do greater harm to me and better to forget about it. 5. In any pursuit of excellence/welfare/benevolence act, there will always be hurdles. If seeking forgiveness results in removal of hurdles, there can be no better measure.Page Navigation
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