________________
308
GOD · Nor at any time was I not, por thon, nor these princes of
men, por verily shall we ever cease to be ” (Disc. ii, 12). As regards the statement: “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad," it is clear, especially with reference to the words "my day," that the allusion is to the glory appertaining to the status of a *son of God, but not to Jesus whose "day" could be seen by Abraham only if it were possible to annihilate the long centuries which separated them from each other. Where we go wrong is in trying to idolize a living or imaginary being-whether be be Krishna, Jesus or anyone else--instead of idenlising the Messiah, or Jina (The Conqueror), as He is termed in Jainism, Idealatry, I repeat, is the path of Salvation ; idolatry will only keep us entangled amongst stones ! St. Paul claimed no higher merit even in the resurrection of Jesus. He distinctly says: . - Bat if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ
Dot rised ” (1 Cor. xv. 13). This is repeated a few verses later in a still more uncompromising spirit : “For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not risen " (1 Cor.
xv. 16). The fact is that we have utterly deluded ourselves with false notions about the personality of Jesus, and have therefore faited to understand the true teaching of Religion, To Paul's mind the resurrection of Jesus was à corollary from the fact of the "rising of the dead,"" not the basis for the inference of their rising, Christ
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
