ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 193

different kinds of living beings, identified by their bodies like air, earth, water, plant, fire and moving beings with two to five types of sense organs and mind. Live and let live and Ahi s Parmo dharma are the popular Jain sutras / slogans enunciating these. This is based on Jain karma doctrine where every act has its consequences and the same have to be enjoyed by the doer. Thus anger begets anger and forgiveness or love begets forgiveness or love.
Jains think, when caused pain or hurt by others, as 'I have not caused any pain or ill to them, still they are angry with me, abusing me etc. It is my bad karmas, which are yielding results now and causing pain to me. So I must repent or perform penance. I am the doer of my karmas and the enjoyer of their results and nobody else is responsible for them.' Another thinking is to consider the others as weak persons as they get angry and hence must be forgiven by me. Always forgiveness involves total annihilation of anger. One who gets angry first hurts himself and then the others. Similarly forgiveness brings peace and tranquility to the giver first and then to others (auran ko shital kare aap hi shital hoye). Psychologists have established that anger is followed by hatred, tiredness; feeling of wrongdoing and then repentance while forgiveness is followed by peace, tranquility and contentment.
The feeling or experience of forgiveness cannot be found in religious or other texts as these texts are like a mirror which shows the dirt on the face but the dirt has to be removed by self wiping it. Moral and spiritual purification ethics prescribed by Jains talk of maintaining attitudes of carefulness and restraint in all our activities to avoid anger or to cause hurt to others. The daily essential duties for all Jains include pratikrama a (confession of wrongs done and seeking forgiveness and promise not to repeat again) and pr ya cita (repentance). On annual basis the month of Bh dra is considered holy and the last eighteen days are observed as either paryu a a or das lak an parva. A day after the last day they observe K amv i parva whereby they seek and give forgiveness to all for all the wrongs done knowing or unknowingly or asking others to do so or supporting / admiring those doing so.
Jain pur as or holy texts having stories are full of great people becoming stronger, contented by observing forgiveness. The example of Bharat B hubali war in which the younger brother Bahubali wins the war and immediately forgives his elder brother, gives him the territories won and accepts renunciation from all worldly activities to meditate on his self and attain supreme soul state. Similarly Mah vira went to a cremation ground for meditations. There the people roughed him up thinking that He is going to grab their land and livelihood. Not responding to the hurt caused by them made the people realize that He is beyond worldly possessions and is a great saint and person meditating on His self.
All religions of the world do emphasize essentiality of the concept and practice of forgiveness.
The concept of performing atonement from one's wrongdoing (Prayaschitta), and asking for forgiveness is very much a part of the practice of Hinduism as it is related to the law of karma. Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The effects of those deeds and these deeds actively create present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain in others. Forgiveness is a great power. Kabir aptly said "The strong and the elders should practice forgiveness as the weaker and youngsters are by nature mischevious and troublemakers...' Lord Krishna (Gita 16.3) said that forgiveness is one of the characteristics of one born for a divine state. It is noteworthy that He distinguishes those good traits from those he considered to be demoniac, such as pride, self-conceit and anger. The entire episode of Mahabharat is based on the hurting words of Draupadi and the anger of Duryodhana making him occupied with ways to take revenge. Just imagine the situation if either of them had sought forgiveness from the other.
In Buddhism, forgiveness is seen as a practice to prevent harmful emotions from causing havoc on one's mental well-being. Buddhism recognizes that feelings of hatred and ill-will leave a lasting effect on our mind karma. "In contemplating the law of karma, we realize that it is not a matter of seeking revenge but of practicing metta (loving kindness), and forgiveness, for the victimizer is, truly, the most unfortunate of all."If we haven't forgiven, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn. That is what suffers."
Jesus Christ when He was being crucified prayed to God to forgive those who are crucifying Him as they are ignorant and do not know what they are doing? Similarly the concept of confession and seeking absolution and the end of all prayers seeking forgiveness and blessings of Lord are applications of the accepted principle of forgiveness.
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