Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

Page 105

A GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
Swastika Jain Perspective
There was lots of misunderstanding about Swastika symbol in the West. Mr. Virchand Gandhi gave detailed and spiritual aspects of the Swastika symbol.
THE FORMATION OF THE JAIN SWASTA-FIRST
STADE Handful of nice metrarform, the
center
Fig 34 THE FORMATION OF THE JAIN SWASTIKA-SECOND
STADE Rice or meal, as shown in preceding figure, with
finger marketed 122
The Sunstika is misinterpreted by so-called Western expounders of our ancient Jain philosophy. The original idea was very high, but later on some persons thought the cross represented only the combination of the male and the female principles. While we are on this physical plane and our propensities are on the material line, we think it is necessary to unite those (sexual) principles for our spiritual growth. On the higher plane the soul is sexless, and those who wish to rise higher than the physical plane must eliminate the idea of sex.
Fig. 33 EXPLANATION OF THE JAIN SWASTIKA ACCORDING TO
GANDHI (1)Archaic or protoplasmic life: (2) Plant and animal life, (3) Human life. (4) Celestial life
bending to the right each arm of the cross, then above it three circles and the Crescent, and a circle within the crescent. The idea thus symbolized is that there are four grades of existence of souls in the material universe. The first is the lowest state-Archaic or protoplasmic life. The soul evolves from that state to the next-the earth with its plant and animal life. Then follows the third state- the human; then the fourth state-the celestial. The word "celestial" is here held to mean life in other worlds than our own. Some also interprets 4 arms of Swastika as 4 stages of transmigration namely Tiryanch, Hellish, Celestial and Human. All these graduations are combinations of matter and soul on different scales. The spiritual plan is that in which the soul is entirely freed from the bounds of matter. In order to reach that plane, one must strive to possess the three jewels (represented by the three circles), right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. When a person has these, he will certainly go higher until he reaches the state of
He explained the Jain Swastika by the following illustration [fig.33] : the horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other at right angles form the Greek cross. They represent spirit and matter. We add four other lines by
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