Jain Digest 1994 06 Special Issue

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 29

presence of fearfulness. The fearless person who gives to poor and deprived peoples of the world will see his wealth returned a hundred fold, according to the divine law."As you Sow so shall you reap" say the words of Jesus Christ. It is the law of karma Christianized, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an 'old testament teaching' was probably meant to express Karmic law as well but was distorted by those wishing to avenge wrong-doing themselves. There is some confusion as well about the teaching that all are born into a high or low place in a society according to the actions of their other previous lives. Just because you are born into a particular place in a society does not mean you must remain there and die of hunger or live in total luxury oblivious to the needs of others who are less fortunate than you. We are all here to learn lessons as well, and it may be that we need to learn how to work our way out of deprivation or how to value life and respect of others for helping the needy, over and above our value for material belongings such as money or other attachments. The rich can truly become richer while the poor become richer as well under this system. Thus we have a practical answer on how to cultivate the state of fearlessness. When there is no fear of death through starvation or other means, when there is no fear that others will try to take what you have-when all peoples needs are equally considered by the Worlds Nations, there will be Heaven on Earth—or as it is colloquially named, Seventh Heaven—when all will live in the seventh chakra in the Sahasrara abode of Samadhibliss, Godliness ---Om. Amen. Sum. These are the teachings of Lord Mahavira as handed down by his disciples from generation to generation, to propagate the great religion of non-violence. According to this faith, the Jain religion, all living things come under the category of, have the quality of Soul. For this reason the Jain has a very real and deep seated respect for all forms of life. The Jain is not distracted by such things as skin color or nationality. The Jain reveres all animals as he reveres his own human life. As far as possible, even the insects of the earth are revered by the Jain. In the mind of Jain, the only this which separates them from any other being is violence and will dedicate his whole life to the work of uplifting the consciousness of mankind to the elimination of all negativity in thought, word and deed, and this is according to the teachings of its revered Lord Mahavira. And so it is the work of the Muni to do this great and difficult task of bringing to the world the non-violent teachings of his master.
TO GURUJI by Karin "Karuna" O'Bannon
i never knew i prayed for a guru God gave me you
i never knew i sought to know God
i looked to you you looked at me
and you knew in your knowledge in your wisdom
you knew you sent me away you never taught me you only promised you were my guru
i never knew you embraced me
to abandon me you accepted me
to leave me i never knew
what i needed you couldn't give me only my own soul's knowing
could fulfill my heart's desire i had to learn from my heart's desire
i sought the sun i sought the rain i became the wind
the bird
the flower i asked your advice
you said "tea is nice." you know if you taught me you would distract me
limit me
distance me take me from the God within me
i never knew
you are my guru i had the answer
i am the way you refused to teach me so i could reach me
the God within dearest guruji i thank you
i am my own guru i am my own God
Jain Digest
June 1994
Page 27
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