Jain Center of America NY 2005 06 Pratishtha

Author(s): Jain Center of America NY
Publisher: USA Jain Center America NY

Page 35

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When a state of observation is sustained, then change comes about in a person spontaneously. We see how anger creeps up and how selfishness and pettiness are there in us. Then, when we go back to our worldly relationship. we remain aware of our own susceptibility to anger, greed. jealousy etc. and when we are fully aware of these traits raising their heads at a given moment of time, we shall never succumb to them if we are further aware of the fact that these vices are self-annihilating. Thus, this process of introspection or say observation of one's own self or say 'looking within', will then take place as naturally as inhalation and exhalation of breath takes place. It becomes natural.
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Now a man is said to be a rational animal. A man thus, inherently, is an animal with all traits of animalism in him. However, he has been endowed with the gift of intellect, by which he is capable of conquering all his animalistic tendencies. It is only by "looking within' that he can trace these tendencies in himself and make an attempt to overcome the same. Not only that he will find the Divinity shining in himself which has been temporarily enveloped by the demoniec tendencies in him. It is thus the privilege of man and not of animal to 'look within' and discriminate between the demoniec and the divine traits in his bosom and see that the latter has an upper hand over the former. No animal is endowed with this capacity to discriminate between the fair and the foul. Nature thus has blessed us with the power of discrimination between the right and the wrong or true and the false. It is thus for us to weild this power at every moment of life by 'looking within' and act rightly in all our transactions of life, both inner and outer.
Now a look at the animal kingdom will reveal to us that each species of animals has only one or the other animalistic tendency to harm others and not the congregation of all such traits e.g. a tiger is known for his thirst for blood of other animals; a serpent is known for giving poisonous sting to other beings, donkeys are known for giving kicks to others by hinder legs; dogs are known for their unnecessary barking when they are in a crowd; a fox is known for its cunningness; a monkey is well known for its mischievousness and sheeps are known for their blind following without any discrimination. Now if we have developed an art of 'looking within', we will undoubtedly find all the aforesaid traits of all the above-stated animals in our own bosoms, always ready to raise their hoods as and when the occasion arises. All these traits are the outcome of the demonic tendencies broadly classified by our great Rishis in six groups as our deadly enemies, such as Kama (passion). Krodh (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Mada (ego) and Matsar (envy), which all the time are playing a game of hide and seek every moment in the secret chambers of our heart. Unless we are fully aware of the same and are fully alert to check them before they raise their hoods, it is quite likely that we may come under their sway to become a prey to them and lose the battle of life. 'Look within' and 'discriminate rightly' is the only remedy to save ourselves from the outburst of our demonic traits out to annihilate us and the society around us.