Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
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SCHOOL
It is sinful to indulge in avrata, to get it done and also support it.
It is religion to observe Vratas, to make others observe them and to support them.
Right attitude regards worldly and spiritual ways as different.
Religion means renunciation, not the enjoyment of carnal sins. Religion means the change of heart, not the use of force.
To desire an unrestrained person to live is attachment.
To desire an unrestrained person to die is aversion.
It is religion to desire an unrestrained person to lead a temperate life."6
6 Tr. N. Sahal, Acārya Bhiksu: The Man and His Philosophy, p. 14.15
7 V.G. Nair, op.cit p.37
SELF STUDY IS THE
SUPREME AUSTERITY,
स्वाध्याय
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
OF
परमे
Bhiksu has firstly objected to the image worship not only because it involves violence but also for an additional reason that it involves use of money for performing the various rituals. The construction of temples and performing ceremonies cost money and labor. Charity cannot be rendered without money. Rendering of charity to help other needy persons and save them from hunger is not only impracticable but also senseless. V.G Nair points out, "The miserable economic conditions, droughts, famines and the other social disabilities which stood as obstacles to lead a normal life gave the fill up to the teachings of Bhikhanji among a certain class of society"7
तप
The belief that in the Pañcamakāla, religion is difficult to follow provides an escape to the four-fold community for not following true religious path (i.e. only outward means without inner essence). This was severely condemned by Bhiksu. It so happened that in a particular village the laity refused to worship the Jaina monks; Raghunathji sent Bhiksu to that place to settle the matter. On reaching there the people complained about the laxity in the behaviour of those monks. Somehow managing to convince those people to listen to those monks, Bhiksu returned to his guru with a disheartened feeling. On raising the issue, his guru replied that due to the Pañcamakāla, it is difficult to follow conduct. This made Bhiksu strikingly think on the true nature of religion, because he found that this way of escapism is a deteriorating mark of religion. Such a heavy and a deep-rooted psychological understanding of time create a major stumbling block even today in the minds of the four-fold community. It is so because of a blind belief that omniscient has seen and propounded that time is going to deteriorate and liberation is impossible during this time in this Bharata Kṣetra of this Jambū
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