Essence of Jainism Part 01

Author(s): Kushalchandravijay
Publisher: 108 jain Tirth Darshan Trust

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of the name of the drawer mentioned therein. If the Gumasta (Clerk) of a merchant of some-standing approaches you with the merchant's chit or says that he comes from such and such a merchat, you transact business of thousand of rupees with him because of the name he stands for. Everybody knows a child becomes very nervous on hearing words like 'an aghori bava (begger-monk) comes'.
When two boys quarrel, they stop quarreling on the apporach of a kindly elderly person. A mere word from him causes them to stop the quarrel. What a wonderful effect of words in on all of us!
In the Shripal Ras, we find Vimaleshwar Yaksha saying that he would help one who meditates on Navkar Mantra. 'Remamber me at the time of troubel, I am your co-religionist.' If we remember gods by reciting their names, they do help us in times of trouble.
The names of Tirthankar-Arihants are divine and meritorious. So by reciting them, all our sins are destroyed. It is mentioned in the 'Vandita Sutra' that 'The stories of twenty four Tirthankars destroy the heaps of sins piled upon over thousands of years. May my days, therefore pass in reciting or hearing the life stories of all the twenty four Tirthankars.'
By reciting a mantra, the physicians of Yore, well-versed in mantra- science, cured a poisoned person. Similarly, when we recite the scared texts of the scriptures-the Sutras which are potent mantra, the sins are destroyed.
The story of Hansa :
An old woman had an only son named Hansa. He was bitten by a snake. The old woman wept the whole night crying in anguish. 'O Hansa, my dear Hansa !' Now, 'O Hansa also constitate the words of a holy mantra. Consequently, the boy's poison was neutralised. He survived in the end. What a wonderful effect of letters uttered even in ignorance! Letters constitute the body of Mantra; but such letters are organised and transformed into a potent mantra by great saints by spiritual powers they possess; but such mantra produces a success provided it is recited in the prescribed manner with devoted attention.
Why do we bow to God:
Tirthankars-Arihants and Siddhas are free from bonds of attachment and have annihilated all karmas. They are great guides for the benefit of mankind. They have attained the highest bliss. We can
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