Introduction to Jaina Sadhna

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 37

30: An Introduction to Jaina Sadhana
nature of soul has a sound ground for its justification in our organic and psychological nature also.
Darwin suggested that the "struggle for existence is the basic principle of living." Apparently it is true that there is a struggle for existence in our world and nobody can deny this fact. But owing to certain reasons we cannot call this a directive principle of living. First of all this theory is self-contradictory, because its basic slogan is 'live on others', in other words, it prescribs 'living by killing'. Secondly, it is opposed to the basic human nature and to even animal nature to a certain extent. The theory 'live on others' is against the simple rule that all living beings or human beings are potentially equal. The concept of equality of all living beings (Samatā ) can only give us a right directive principle of living with fellow beings. The directive principle of living is not "live on others" but "live with others" or "live for others". The famous Jaina philosopher Umāsvāti in his Tattvarthasūtra maintains that the nature of Jiva is to serve one another (Parasparopagraho jivānām, 5. 21 ), Struggle is not our inner nature but it is only a resultant nature, it is imposed on us by some outer factors. Whenever we have to struggle, we struggle under compulsion and whatsoever is done under compulsion cannot be a guiding principle of our living, because it does not blow out from inner nature. In the Acārānga (1.8.3) also equanimity has been referred to as the essence of religion (Dharma ). This equanimity or balanced state of mind is the real nature of self. According to Jainism, Dharma is nothing but the fundamental nature of a thing ( Vatthu sahāvo dhammo, Kārtikeyānuprekṣā; 478). Jainism maintains that an ideal, which differs from one's own nature, cannot be realised or actualised; one's essential nature ( svalaksana ) alone can be our ideal.
It is true that dialectic materialism takes conflict or struggle as the law of life and states that the history of man is a