Jain Journal 1983 01

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

Page 9

JAIN JOURNAL
merchant. I wrote to Bombay. Six months later, a pack came from the World Jain Mission in Aliganj.
So began my rational study. What I did not understand did not dismay me. For I always kept in mind that here was a religion of noninjury to all living things.
'Voice of Ahinsa', the Mission's magazine, was my first support. Over the months, I wrote to the Editor and to several contributors. With charity and patience, all replied with instructive letters and/or tracts and books.
Vegetarian diet was an article of faith, yet one mentioned literally between commas. No definitive example, no crying of soul with pity for the food-animals. Was I seeking more than even this caring, nonviolent religion had to share ? Matter-of-factly, my study went on.
A gift-book was Religion of Tirthankaras. It looked exciting. Then I saw its color-pictures of images. And images did weary me, indeed images did weary me. Thus my mind, not my heart, turned the pages.
...a dulled image, a dulled and timeworn image.
Something in the image caught me up. It grasped my heart and flung it at the bared feet. Owanderer come home! I fell before the image that now was glowing, lotus bright..
It was an image of the Lord Aristanemi at Kambadahalli. What about Him who, in a flash of time, had moved my life as into infinity ? I rushed to read His life-story.
Religion of Tirthankaras, pages 77-8 :
"(the Lord Neminatha) heard the moans of animals placed in an enclosure for meat-eaters. The piteous sight so influenced his compassionate heart that he set them all free...and decided to take to renunciation.
“(The Lord replied) “The yonder animals, too, possess a soul like our's and they, too, have the right to live and progress spiritually'.”
... Holy Image, Holy Truth...