Essence of Jainism

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

Page 77

Heart of Jaipa Culture
Nivartaka dharma - Religion of Abstention
Nivar taka dharma is totally contrary to the Pravartaka dharma described above. The class of thinkers who believed in this and the other worlds as also in rebirth, who also believed that the Ātmã was subject to the cycle of birth are those who believed in Pravar tuka dharma. But they were not at the same time satisfied with the happiness high, higher and steady to be attained to in one's series of births. Their vision was this. Howsoever high our happiness of series of births may be, we may or may not reap happiness, howsoever long it may persist; this happiness is to come to an end sometimne or other. If this be the truth, then, even this lofty and long-living happiness is of a low status in the end and therefore not worth aspiring after. They were in search of some happiness, which, once acquired will never die. As this struck to their mind, they felt that acceptance of liberation as a Puruşārtha is unavoidable. They began to believe that a state of the Ātma is possible, which, once it is acquired, will rule out the need of birth or births for the body. They knew this state of Ātmā as Moks2-liberation or stoppage of births Janmanivítti. The followers of Pravartaka dharma were trying to reap the joys of this life and the life hereafter by higher and higher religious practices. The followers of the Nivartaka dharma looked upon these religious practices not only as incomplete, for, their aim was liberation. They also looked upon them as obstructive in the attainment to fiberation and therefore to their these religious practices were absolutely contemptible. The distance in matter of aim and vision being like that between east and west, what was worth practising for the followers of the Fravartaka dharma was contemptible for the followers of the Nivartoka dharma. Again, even though Pravartaka dharma was considered obstructive with regard to liberation, the followers of the path found it necessary to invent a path that has a well-founded means for the attainment of liberation. In seeking this path. they found out a way that was not dependent upon external means; it was dependent solely upon the purity of thoughts and means of the Sadhaka. This path of extreme and perfect purity of thought and behaviour became renowned as the