Book Title: Epitome of Jainism
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Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 548
________________ AN EPITOME OF JAINISM. profoundly personal thing that exists in and works from within us, and which moves without being itself moved. So we see, in every act of Punya, Fnåna How one (knowledge, Sraddha or Anuraga (love) Punyavan and Virya (liberty or force) are indissolub(virtuous). ly blended together. can become In a word, Punya (virtue) is the moral strength consisting in wilfully practising the good with love and intelligence. And the Jain sages teach that it is by practising the good with love. and intelligence that One may become virtuous. Viewed with this light, Aristotle is right when he says that 'Virtue is habit'; for a single act of virtue will not certainly make any one virtuous (Punyavân). It is by constant repetition of virtuous acts that one may become virtuous in as much as this constant repetition transforms (Pranamate) the soul, evolving from within it higher and more constant instincts and tendencies. It is important to note that this constant repetition of acts which goes to the formation of habit, does not mean here discharging of duties in a mere mechanical way. In the mere mechanical way of doing things, the 488

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