Gandhis Teachers Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta

Author(s): Satish Sharma
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

Page 63

Jainism and Jain Goal of Life
45
abstention, observance, posture, breath-control, withdrawal of the senses, fixed attention, contemplation, and concentration or smadhi. The first two of these refer to ethical prerequisites for the practice of yoga, including practice of nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, continence, non-acceptance of gifts, internal and external purity, contentment, austerity, and devotion to God. Posture is a physical aid to the concentration. Breath-control is for serenity of mind. Abstraction of the senses from their natural functions is to help keep the mind still. Only after these initial steps are properly perfected, that the last three steps of fixed attention, contemplation, and concentration or smadhi become possible. See: Radhakrishnan and
Moore, A Source Book... op. cit., 1957, pp. 453-454. 29. Akasha is sky and simultaneously the reference is also to
the spiritual sky. 30. Rice, Eastern Definitions... op. cit., 1978, pp. 197-198.
Also see: Mookerjee, S., The Jaina Philosophy of NonAbsolutism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1978; Kalghatgi, T. G., Jaina View of Life. Sholapur: Jaina Samskrti
Samraksaka Sangha, 1984. 31. Unlike Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, Jainism does
not believe in any Super Power and does not admit that
jivas and ajivas were created by anyone at anytime. 32. Radhakrishnan and Moore, A Source Book... op. cit.,
1957, p. 251; Rice, Eastern Definitions... op. cit., 1978, pp. 197-198. Also see: Jain, G. R., Cosmology: Old and
New. New Delhi: Bharatiya Jnanpith, 1975. 33. Rice, Eastern Definitions... op. cit., 1978, p. 196. 34. Ibid. 35. The earth and all things found in the earth, such as clay,
stones, minerals, oil, metals, and jewels. 36. From a drop of rain to ponds, rivers, and oceans. 37. All gases and all types of winds. 38. Rice, Eastern Definitions... op. cit., 1978, pp. 196-197. 39. Naya is logical and inherent meaning of the things. It is
also "point of view," such as of observation, perception,