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-4.
EACH HUMAN BEING WHEN HE IS PERFECT, IS GOD
I have been given an opportunity of going through Dr. Ajay Kumar Pukhraj Kothari's treatise on the 'Concept of Divinity with special reierence to Jainism'. I am very happy to know that while concentrating on the spiritual aspects of Jainism he has also thrown light on the concept of divinity in Hinduism and Buddhism two of the major religions in the country. As a modest practitioner of Jainismn, I am pleasantly surprised at the core of unity underlining the philosophies of the religions the author has chosen to exam. ine. While Jainism may not accept the concept of an all powerful God being the creator and destroyer, it does believe that the every human being is capable of achieving divinity by his endeavour and by following the right path. The obvious conclusion is that, for a Jain, each soul is divine in nature and each human being when he is perfect, is God.
One cannot think of a better conclusion than what has been stated by the author, namely, "all religions believe in living and letting live, being truthful, honest. chaste content, respectful to parents, reverent and obeisant to the spiritual teacher and to the supreme divinity'.
I congratulate the author on the excellence of his efforts and commend the volume to all students of comparative religions.
N. Sugalchand Jain
Managing Trustee, Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation,
Chennai.
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