Introduction to Jainism

Author(s): Rudi Jansma, Sneh Rani Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
Personally I tend to think that if there is a God or gods that care for us, they do not have to be begged for help. They know better what we need than our brain-minds. They may without our knowing do much more for us than we think, and due to their wisdom and compassion they do more good than we could suppose, but they help in the evolution of our souls, not the fulfillment of our personal wishes.
As I see it, several approaches are possible to this problem. What has been sown, has been sown. That applies to good things as well as bad things. But we do not complain about the results of the first category. If in some miraculous way I could be freed from the karma of a particular sin or crime, the suffering that has been undergone by others as a result of my action has already happened, and can never be undone. Even if the victim, or “God” will forgive us our deeds, what has been done, has been done. The mental, physical and emotional forces that were evoked and strengthened by my actions - both within myself and within my victim, will continue to have a link with me and will manifest their fruits one day.
Courageous people who have entered "the Path” want justice only, because in the highest philosophical sense karma and justice are identical. Therefore it is a precept for a Jain, Buddhist, Christian, Theosophical or any other religious disciple to accept all the karmic fruits one receives dauntlessly and fearlessly, however challenging they may be.
Yet we see that Jain and Buddhist monks are constantly involved in efforts to purge the karma they have attracted. Through their purity and purifications karmas can return their grip. You won't invite thieves if you have nothing to steal. Though what has been sown can not be undone, a plant can grow in many ways. If you give it more water and fertilizer it may grow and flower and bear fruit soon - you speed up the ripening of karma. Religious vows may work as "fertilizer” on our karmic seeds or saplings. Alternatively a plant can be trimmed and numerous small stems instead of one firm trunk may grow. The nature of a particular karma