Jain Center Essex Fells NJ 1993 04 Ten Years Celebration

Author(s): Jain Center Essex Fells NJ
Publisher: USA Jain Center New Jersey

Page 38

Joth Anniversary Celebration
WHO IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE? NOT GOD
No God or any divine power has created the universe and is ruling over it. The universe is working on account of the Jivas and the Karmas. The Jivas carries out the endeavors and the Karmas help the Jiva in carrying out these endeavors. If we do not believe in this doctrine and if we believe that God is the creator of this universe, many unanswerable questions arise, such as: (1) What benefit does God get by being caught in this mighty dilemma? (2) Does he create only certain things? (3) God is said to be merciful. If we believe that God is the creator of this universe, does not the question arise why he created the things that cause sorrow to Jivas? (4) What is the physical form of God with which he carries out all this work? How was that form created? By whom was it created? etc.
When we think of the answers that can be given to these questions, we get a peculiar image of God (1) If God carries out the task of creation and destruction without any purpose then it becomes a foolish game. (2) If he carries out this work as a game, he has to be deemed a child. (3) If he carries out all this work on account of his supreme grace he would have made all Jivas happy and he would have created things that would have given happiness to all. (4) It has been said that God is the supreme judge and that he has created the things that cause sorrow and misery to punish Jivas for their offenses. Now this question crops up. God who is capable of doing all this is considered to be omnipotent and merciful. When this is so why does he allow the Jivas to commit sins and crimes, and why does he punish them for those sins and crimes? If some policemen keep silently and passively witnessing a murder when it is being committed then those policemen will also be guilty. Can we say that God is an offender? Or should it be thought that he does not have the power to prevent Jivas from committing crimes and sins or that he is without kindness.
Apart from these, some other questions also crop up: (1) If God is creating and ruling over this universe from where does he carry out these actions? (2) If God has a physical form, who is the creator of this form? (3) If God is formless and bodiless how can a formless on create objects that possess forms?
The substance of all this argument is that God is not the creator of this universe. If God carries out all these things in accordance with the Karmas of Jivas, we have to discard the doctrine that God is the creator of the universe because the task of creation is carried out by Karmas. Huge mountains, mighty rivers etc., are created by Karmas. The entire organization of the universe is the result of the collection of the bodies of Jivas. Karmas determine the form of the various things and they are called mountains, trees, earth etc.
When the body of some Jiva is cut or wounded, the cut or the wound heals and closes up and again the body assumes its form. But this is not possible after life leaves the body. After the body is separated from life, its wounds do not heal and cover up. From this it becomes evident that only when there is life, with the help of Karmas, a new body or new parts are created. Even if there may be such things as soil, manures, seeds, water can such things as sprouts, dark, red bodies, green leaves, roses, sweet fruits etc. assumes their respective shapes and forms.
"Religion is the highest of all blessings. It comprises Ahimsa (non-violence), Samyama (self-restraint), Tapa (penance). Even the gods bow down to he whose
mind is always centered in religion.'
- Dasa Vaikalika Sutra
Best wishes
to JAIN CENTER OF NEW JERSEY
ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY
FROM
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