Essence of Jainism

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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their last birth because of the psychic impressions of the previous births. Their message is that they are one of the entire humanity and anyone who exerts himself like them can possibly attain to the status of Tirthankara. They are thus the Tirthankaras who have infused this self-confidence in humanity. In other religions, gods are conceived as other than human beings and are revered. In Jainism on the other hand, man acquires that power because of which even gods worship them. “Dharma is a lofty auspicious
ess; (it comprises of) pon-violence, control and austerity. Even the gods worship the person whose mind ever rest in dharma.”
The high status of humanity is described in the Mababhārata in these words : “There is none superior to human beings''-Santi Parva 299.20). The contribution of Jain Tirthankaras is not ordinary in raising humanity to this status. Āryas were used to worship and venerate gods like Indra and to follow violence of animals etc. in sacrifices, till the Tirthankaras dominated. The Aryas prayed for material wealth in return for the sacrifices. The Tirthankaras put an end to this humiliation on part of the human beings and placed human destiny in man's own hands. They brought about a new awakening in the realm of religious beliefs thereby. Man started understanding bis own abilities and he gave up the worship of gods like lodra. The result was that even the vedic Āryas started worshipping human beings like Rāma and Krişna; though, in course of time they were made incarnations of god Vişnu. Yet one facts stands that it was the Tirtharkaras who gave this message to the Āryas "Man is greater than gods."
What is the nature of the dharma propagated by the Tirthankara; ? What is its essence? In one word, it is 'non-violence'. Non-violence has two forms in practice-control and austerity. In control there is compression of the body, mind and speech. Through control he stops falling a prev to new bonds and through austerity he cuts off the old acquired bonds. Thus, it is only through nonviolence in practice that he is enabled to attain to liberation,
Non-extremism must be adopted if full observance of nonviolence is to be resorted to. Thus, the principle of non-extremism, the philosophical doctrine of Jainism springs from non-violence.