Jain Journal 1972 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 48

126
JAIN JOURNAL
vision. This consciousness is equal in all the souls. When Mahavira was asked, “Are the souls of an elephant and an ant equal ?” he replied, "From the standpoint of the body space occupied by these, they are unequal but from the standpoint of consciousness, they are equal." This is why Jainism encourages to respect life both great and small.
Jainism does not acknowledge God as the creator of this universe. The universe was not created, nor its preservation or destruction is caused by Him. According to Jainism, this universe consists of six substances which are distinct, separate and eternal. They are : jiva, pudgala, dharma, adharma, ākāśa and kāla. But though the substances are eternal, their modes are ever changing, from which we have the three core words, viz., utpada (formation), vyaya (transformation), and dhrauvya (permanence). The trio pervades all the substances and attributes to the world a pernament and eternal character. The varieties of death or destruction and birth or origin seen in this context are but modifications of those eternal substances.
In the Jaina view, jivas are born again and again in this world. They always do something which lead to the acquisition of karma which in turn leads to bondage and gliding from life to life. Karma is a technical term. Due to good or evil actions done by a jiva, pudgala penetrates into soul spaces and becomes karma. As in the God-centred religion, God is the giver of pleasure and pain so is karma in the Jaina view. It not only gives a material body, a name, a lineage, a life-span --it even bars knowledge and vision, creates delusion and obstructs fulfilment. Mithyātva (perverted belief), avirati (lack of vow), pramada lethargy, kaşāya (passions like anger, conceit, deciet and lust) and yoga (activities of body, speech and mind) collectively called asravas lead to new bondage of karma. One who is on the spiritual track has to stop the asrava by spiritual practices called samvara. But still there are some accumulated karma which have to be got rid of for which the spiritual process is nirjarā. When these two processes are completed the soul stands liberated and is all consciousness and attains unlimited knowledge, unlimited perception, unlimited power and unlimited bliss. The core words in the spiritual process are : jiva (soul), ajiva (non-living substances), asrava (influx of new karma), bandha (bondage), punya (virtue), pāpa (vice), samvara (arrest of the influx of karma), nirjarā (exhaustion of old karma), and mokṣa (liberation).
The central theme of Jainism is ahimsā. It has been stated with much emphasis that one should look at creatures — big or small, as one's own self. Ahimsā is the main pivot on which revolves the life and con