Introduction to Jainsim

Author(s): Dewan Bahadur A B Lathe
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

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JAINISM
The going of the Soul to the pure place, called the Shidha: Shila, from whence it returns not, is the Moksha. In numerabledelivered souls exist and are to be there for ages that never were begun and which never close. The Sidhha soul has eight charecteristics (1) Rightfulness (2) Absolute knowledge (3). Illimitable insight (4) Boundless prowess (5) Minuteness (6). Power to reach every where (7) Power to be big and small and (8) Unaffectedness. This Moksha is obtained by means of the three jewels whose acquisition is gradual through the fourteen steps of merits, described before.
We now take up Image-worship. The Image or the picture is intended to give us a view of the all-knowing beings in their concentrated posture-the high-souled beings who attained Godhood by the slow path along the fourteen Gunasthanas, Image-wor- after throwing off the sensual life for the sake of ship Justified asceticism. Even now, photos and statues of great men are placed in private houses and public situations in order that they should remind us of their virtues. Images are worshipped with the same object, and the worship is not of the stoneor metal of which the images are made but of the virtues they represent. They also teach us vividly what the posture of contemplation with concentration is. The images are either in sitting or erect postures and the postures are called Padmasan or Kayotsarga respectively. The erect image has its feet closeto each other, the hand left straight down and the half-closed eyes pointed to the end of the nose. In the sitting attitude, the eyes are in the same position but the feet are twined into each other and the up-turned palms of the hands are placed together in the centre of the folded feet. Neither cloth The posture of a Jain Image nor ornament has any place on the images. No. female image is to be in their vicinity. It is in fact an embodiment of a perfectly dispassionate mind in complete selfconcentration..