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The dog died within a few moments. Jīvandhara Kumāra got up, returned to his palace, took a bath and proceeded to pay homage to Bhagavāna with a fresh plate of worship-material. After paying homage he listened to the sermons. In fact, kindness of heart is religion, feeling of universal (for all beings) fraternity is religion.”
My visitor happily conceded, “Indeed, that is religion. I have come across this definition of religion for the first time. In fact, such religion is the need of the day,
What is religion? The Jain sages have answered this question with numerous definitions of religion. At some places they have defined with more emphasis on extrovert viewpoint, at other places with emphasis on introvert viewpoint. and at still other pla emphasis on both. First of all we have to lay the foundation of religion. If the foundation is strong and solid we can raise a palace of religion over it. “There is an aphorism - Damsaņa mūlo dhammo. It means that right perception (samygdarśana) is the root or foundation of religion. Samygdarśana means - I first know the self or my soul and things other than that with discernment. After that I consider my soul to be the sole object of my aspiration and abandon all attachment with other things. This way an elaborate definition has been provided from the introvert viewpoint. Another aphorism – vatthu sahavo dhammo - says the eternal or abiding nature of a thing is religion. The abiding nature, sentience (cetanā), of soul is religion. To have faith in that is the foundation of that religion. It is not enough to know and believe that the intrinsic nature of soul is religion. True or ultimate religion is to invoke that nature in the self, experience it and merge with it. In this context only it has also been said that conduct (ascetic or spiritual) is religion. From the introvert or spiritual angle conduct means experiencing the intrinsic nature of the self and from extrovert or mundane angle it means to purify one's behaviour and praxis to attain that state. Both these are religion. Solely from the mundane viewpoint the definition of religion is – amnesty is religion. In other words religion is altruism, ahiṁsā, and universal fraternity.
Today, probably more than ever, is world needs this aforesaid non-sectarian religion.
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