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ETHICAL DOCTRINES IN JAINISM
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God, that is head which bows down to His feet, that is successful life which lives under His pious shelter, that is speech which sings His praise, that is a sacred man who is engrossed in His devotion, that is a learned man who bows down to His feet.1 Consequently He alone is the object of his belief, he exclusively remembers and adores Him, his both hands are only meant for paying Him obeisence, his ears are ever engaged in listening to His noble characteristics, his eyes are always busy beholding His beauty, his deep-rooted habit is to write something in His praise, and his head is for the sole purpose of bowing to Him?.
TYPES OF DEVOTION: We now proceed to deal with the types of Bhakti. It may be mentioned as Arhat Bhakti, Ācārya Bhakti, Upādhyāya Bhakti and Pravacana Bhakti.3 In another way the classification runs as Siddha Bhakti, Sruta Bhakti, Căritra Bhakti, Yogi Bhakti, Acārya Bhakti, Nirvāņa Bhakti, Pañca Guru Bhakti, Tīrthamkara Bhakti, Nandīśvara Bhakti, Sānti Bhakti, Samādhi Bhakti and Caitya Bhakti. Kundak unda's Niyamasāra categorises Bhakti as Nirvritti Bhakti and Yoga-Bhakti. The former comprises devotion to right belief, right knowledge and right conduct and to the emancipated soul, the latter implies absorption in self-meditation after one has renounced attachment etc., and all foreign thought activities. We may mention in our own way the different types of devotion as Stuti, Vandanā, Idol Worship, Nāmasmaraṇa, Bhajana, Kīrtana, Vinaya, Vaiyāvșttya, and Abhiksana-jñānopayoga. We have already dealt with Stuti, Vandanā, Vinaya and Vaiyāvrtya. Idol Worship needs no dilation. Jaina Temples are the illustrations of this sort of Worship. Nāmasmarana implies the devoted repetition of Om, the name of Parameșthins and the like. According to the Dravyasamgraha? the Namokāra Mantra and the other Mantras given by the Guru are to be repeated and meditated upon. Somadeva attaches great importance to the Namokāra Mantra.8 “The counting of the letters is to be done with a rosary composed of lotus seed or golden beeds or sun stones or gems and the counting may also be done with flowers or on the finger-joints. The repeating of the Mantras may be vocal or mental; the latter method being the more efficacious. Great mystic value is attached to this formula.9” Bhajanas also contribute to the development of moral and spiritual life. They may serve as an incentive to spiritual life, indicate the
2 Ibid. 114. 3 Ta. sū. VI-24. 4 Dasabhaktyādi Samgraha pp. 96 to 226.5 Niyama. 134, 137. Ibid. 134, 135, 137. 7 Dravya. 49. 8 Yat. & I.C. p. 272. Ibid.
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