Essence of Jainism

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

Page 44

Essence of Jainism
Right Faith-Wrong Faith
Faith means darśana-pbilosophy. The general meaning of the word 'darsana' is 'to vision, to perceivo'. Whatever is congnized by the eye is visioned or perceived' or 'dargada'. But in our present context, dršți' or darśapa' does not mean only what iscognized by the eyo. Here, its meaning is very vast. all knowledge cognized by any of tho senses is here understood to be drsti" or darśana'. Not only this, even the knowledge that the Ātma can possibly acquire without the help of the mind, is also dřsti' or darsana', Right faith therefore means and dawning of right knowledge and wrong faith means all kinds of wrong understanding.
Being embodied, breathing, knowledge of information type derived through the organs of senses and organs of action-only this is not life; whatever subtle and subtler sensations that we experience in the different stages of the mind and inner consciousness, these also mean life. The phases and angles of this life are also many. • Faith' is that which gives all this and runs life. If this faith is true, the life guided by it is faultless; if this faith is wrong or full of faults, the life guided by it is bound to be full of blemishes. It should therefore be pondered over and decided, as to what is right faith and what is the wrong one.
Some words there are which apply only to the things visualised by the senses; some there are which apply only to mental objects. When the meaning of a word can be visualised by the senses, it is comparatively easy to modify it, not so when the meaning of the word is beyond the grasp of the senses, or is grasped only by the mind. The words right faith' and "wrong faith' do not apply to objects visualised by the senses; they touch upon our mental feelings or the experiences above the senses. The true meanings of these words, therefore can be deciphered only through discrimination and effort; it is very difficult indeod, to modify, change or widen their meanings.
Even if faith in the ultimate reality is of the nature of right faith, that is not its final meaning. The final meaning is revelation: