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MAHAVIRA ON THE ART OF LIVING Cromwell Crawford, Ph.D.
szabocrawf@aol.com
"Glory be to Lord Mahavira, in whose mirror of enlightenment are reflected vividly the terrestrial and the extraterrestrial...." (Jayadhavala). These words tell us that we must go to the "mirror of enlightenment" to reflect upon "the art of living. Art is not a thing, it is a way. What are the ways of human flourishing as we now peer into the mirror of the Master?
First it must be acknowledged that all great art is by definition at odds with the life and times of the society with which it coexists. All great art is revolutionary because it touches upon the reality of man and challenges the reality of the various transitory forms of human society. Mahavira was branded as a heretic because his understanding of human existence challenged the reality of a supreme deity, opposed the caste system, condemned animal sacrifice, elevated ahimsa, and gave new meanings to karma and rebirth. The earliest reflection of the "art of living" in Jainism was captured in the very name by which Jainism was known during the time of Mahavira, namely, Nirgranthism. Those who succeeded in conquering the evil tendencies of attachment and hatred and could uphold the ideal of non-violence were called jinas or victors.
The art of renunciation involves a precipitous climb, unsuitable for the faint of heart. Mahavira had the option to adopt a moral path of gradualism, as in the four stages of life (asramas) followed by Hindus, but he did not do so for two insights into the nature of the human psyche. First, the insatiability of human desire for objects of the senses - "if somebody should give the whole earth to one man, it would not be enough. The more you get, the more you want; your desires increase with your means" (Uttaradhyana Sutra). Second, life is short and uncertain - "as a dewdrop dangling on the top of a blade of Kusa-grass lasts but a short time."
With this understanding of human life, Mahavira devised the Jain path to perfection, which leads to the goal of moksha, in which a liberated
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person achieves infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss. The path is a composite of Right Faith, Knowledge, and Conduct. All three elements are interconnected and interdependent, and coexist in a person. Such a work of art is known as the Three Jewels (ratnatraya).
Right Faith signifies conviction in the wisdom. of the spiritual teachers and is the prime cause of salvation. Right Knowledge ensues from faith and comprises the truth set forth by Mahavira. The first two categories are noteworthy: soul and non-soul. Their interdependence produces pleasure and pain for the soul as it becomes bogged down by karmic matter. Release from the bondage of karma comes about when the soul becomes enlightened enough to shed the weight of karma. Therefore, the two categories which are central for Jain ethics are the checking and shedding of karmic matter. The entire process is summed up in the saying: "Asrava (inflow of karmic matter causing misery) is the cause of mundane existence and Samvara (stoppage of that inflow) is the cause of liberation" (Sarvadarsana-samgraha). This is the centerpiece of the Jain "art of living"; all else are variations on this single theme.
The third jewel is Right Conduct. There are the major vows (mahavratas) for the monks and minor vows for lay persons (anuvratas). The latter vows cannot bring a person to liberation, but they do serve to curb unethical behaviour; for though "minor," the lay discipline of the Jains is more rigorous than that of other faiths in India and elsewhere.
The art of living as incorporated in the lay ethical ideal has 12 vows: three social vows that govern the householder's external conduct in the world; four spiritual vows that touch on internal purity, expressed through a life of compassion (dana); and five minor vows (anuvratas).
The first minor vow is ahimsa. Art, like moral
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