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OCTOBER, 1981
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the observance of it will surely bring in a better society of human beings, if not any thing else. This is not an insignificant gain in these days of social unrest and enmity.
In view of the above potentialities of Jainism it is necessary to popularise it among the public by proper preaching, a need of which, I feel, the Jaina society is not conscious at present. If it considers for a while how Mahavira spent the last 30 years of his life in preaching his message of peace and good-will among people without any distinction of caste, creed, class, age or sex,ʻit will realise how insignificant is its own contribution in this respect.
Since a Jaina is committed to see the welfare of mankind he can not avoid the duty of making men conscious about the treasures in Jainism so that they can follow its way to seek their spiritual betterment. And seeing the woeful plight through which the mankind is passing to day, I leave this noble task as a sacred trust to every Jaina and cherish the hope that every one will do his or her might in this respect.
The General Summing Up
We have seen above the panorama of Jainism, the rules of behaviour prescribed by it, have penetrated into the different aspects of the lives of men and women who follow it. By pointing out the cause of miseries in the samsāra and prescribing the triratna for the release from these, Mahavira serves as the saviour for his followers. He is a living ideal for them. His life inspires his followers to follow the triratna.
The path (triratna) chalked out by Jainism is very simple in nature and distinct in character. While most other religions ask their followers to perform certain religious functions through priests or the like to reach heaven after their death, Jainism prescribes certain ethical functions and spiritual exercises to attain mokşa (the life's end) in this world. Here no religious ceremonies are prescribed.57 Here, the seeker of mokşa must make the necessary efforts for himself, for he reaps as he sows. No other man, whether priest or the like, can help him in this respect. The only help he gets is the inspiration from the lives of the Trithankaras which act as ideals for him.
57 The worshipping of the deities, I may remind my readers, is not in the original
programme of Jainism. Such worshipping, I feel, was borrowed from Hinduism when it (Jainism) came in contact with the other (i.e, the Hinduism).
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