________________
UNIVERSAL FRIENDLINESS
By: H.H. Acharya Shree Amrender Muni
If we were to look to the fundamental reality, the soul within every creature is just like the soul within us. He who realizes this truth, genuinely develops a special sense of friendliness with every living being of the universe, and we may call this delicate feeling "universal friendliness".
Deep meditation (Samadhi) leads to the success in spiritual progress (Sadhana). Samadhi can be attained by right meditation, and one important factor in the process of meditation is a spirit of equanimity towards all Souls (Jivas). The adverse feelings are, "These Jivas are my enemies, they inflict pain on me, these are my adversaries, they insult me, these are not on my side," and so on.
If an asprirant (Sadhaka) nourishes such feelings directly or indirectly, no feeling of friendiness can develop in him; and without a firm feeling of such friendliness, the mind cannot progress in the real thoughts of God or real meditation.
DEVELOPMENT OF FRIENDLINESS
Acquiring true knowledge is a must for Sadhana or real universal friendliness. The knowledge acquired should be applied in the day-to-day working of practical life. If a businessman looks upon all souls as equal to his own, how will he deceive any customers by delivering goods of inferior quality? How will such a teacher show prejudice to one or the other student? How will such a person speak ill of other persons? Thus, we can understand that with the dawning of universal friendliness in one's life, one cannot possibly make adverse worldly day-to-day dealings and will rather proceed to cultivate general goodwill towards one and all.
This applies to an average good citizen of any country of mediocre aspirant (Sadhaka). Supreme friendliness can be cultivated only by great munis or monks who have acquired supreme self-control. Their universal friendliness is of supreme quality. Their spirit of friendliness has spread and pervaded not only to all human beings in the world, but also to all animals, insects and even vegetable-life! Munis therefore take care not to niflict the slightest loss, pain, insult and so on or any living being in their life.
To understand lives of these great people, deep understanding and their personal association are essential. Without these, one cannot understand universal friendliness. A typical unique atmosphere of the experience of utter peace and delight is usually experienced in presence of such personalities, in whose life this friendliness has reached its climax. That was the reason why the ancient great monks, Rishis and self-inspired Acharyas of India used to live in and moved through jungles fearlessly even in the midst of violent animals. This was, because the intensified spirit of friendliness of these great souls deeply influenced the violent animals, overwhelmed their
Jain Education International 2010_03
JAINA
For Private & Personal Use Only
2015
T
Samadhi
can be attained
by right meditation, and one important factor in the process of meditation is a
spirit of equanimity towards all Souls (Jivas)
Extending Jain Heritage in Western Environment
149 www.jainelibrary.org
