Fundamentals Of Jainism

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Bharti

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the attributes of perfection and divinity arising from the action of the concentrated point of attention on the matter of the nervous centres, as described before. The transference of the conception of paramatman from the mind, or intellect, to the soul-substance is beautifully allegorised, in the Vishnu Purana, as the removal of the embryo of Krishna from the womb of Rohini to that of her cowife, Devaki, Krishna being the Ideal of Godhood or Perfection for the soul. The idea is that the conception of divinity is first formed in the mind or intellect, and is thence transferred to the soul-substances which, assuming its form, itself becomes 'Krishna' (God). The same is the explanation of the teaching of the Sveatambra sect of Jainas who hold that the last holy tirthamkara, Shri Vardhmana-Mahavira was, first conceived in the womb of a brahmana lady and thence transferred to that of Queen Trisala. The brahmanical caste being noted for learning, the brahamana lady clearly becomes symbolical of intellect in whose womb the tirthamkara' (Godhood) is first conceived.
MOKSHA
It will not be out of place here to point out the nature of the trouble which is sure to arise from a concentration of mind on an erroneous, or fanciful, concept of the divine form. Since the intensity of concentration tends on to establish the soul-substance in the form of the object of contemplation, he who holds in his mind any ill-shaped misconceived or distorted image of divinity would be throwing his soul into a wrong mould, the impress of which it would not be an easy matter to destroy.
This is not all, for the requisite degree of the intensity of concentration also is not possible where the mind is liable to be stirred or moved in the wrong direction; hence the manifestation of kevala jnana is out of the question for those who fix their minds on kudeva (false divinity). For instance, the act of contemplation of a dancing 'God' can only result in establishing the soul in a dancing attitude, which, the moment it becomes strongly marked, would interrupt all further concentration of mind in the right direction.
*The intellectual origin of Christos is also recognised by the holy Bible which describes the Messiah as a carpenter's son. Now, since a carpenter's work consists in cutting (analysis) and joining together (synthesis), he is as good a symbol for the intellectual faculty as any that can be thought of.