Jain Journal 1981 07

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

Page 39

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reaching complete perfection. The soul's transmigration is then terminated, and we find ourselves forever in the state of nirvāṇa, known also as mokşa, free from greed and desire to affect other peoples' lives, in complete relaxation, peace, and bliss.
JAIN JOURNAL
In pursuing such a lofty ideal, one has to possess "three jewels": the right faith, the right knowledge and the right conduct. The right faith means freedom from doubts, constancy and brotherhood towards others. The knowledge includes, next to scriptures and traditions, a deep understanding of the self. The ethics of conduct relate closely to the law of karma they prohibit everything which obscures and delays our striving at salvation. Among the prohibitions comes to the fore, the principle of ahimsa which forbids killing, even through neglect or carelessness of any living being, including animals, plants, insects and micro-organisms. Consequently, Jainas are vegeterians, and many do not consume even fruit and vegetables if they still display elements of life.
Other rules prohibit drinking of alcohol; forbid saying untruth; oblige straining water before being poured, to protect any living creature that might be found therein; impose taking care of the poor, the hungry and the sick as well as showing goodness to animals. The principle of aparigraha forbids having possessive attachment to wealth. The principle of anekāntavāda proclaims that there are no exclusive absolute truths; since any truth may be considered from various points of view, each of which necessitates understanding and respect. Jaina philosophers made the effort of classifying the various possible approaches to truth, distinguishing seven categories and hundreds of sub-categories of them.
Another characteristic of Jainism is the broadness of its concepts. In concentrating upon the soul's path to salvation, it's definition of soul encompasses beings endowed up to six senses (the sixth one, possessed by humans, co-ordinates the impressions from the five others) and includes such elements as fire, water, wind etc. to which it attributes one sense, that of touch. For all of them the path of the transmigration remains open. In another domain, the largeness of the Jaina concepts of time and space should be mentioned. The time proceeds in consecutive pairs of cycles of enormous lengths and each of them is divided into twelve ages; the ascending cycles are those of progress in man's knowledge, life-span, stature and happiness, while a gradual deterioration occurs in the descending cycles of which the present cycle is one. As regards space, it is divided into the universe and that of the non-universe, the latter containing no substance within. The universe includes a number