Jain Journal 2000 07

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

Page 36

NEWS ON JAINISM AROUND THE WORLD Spiritual perfection, goal of human life
Scriptures clearly say that man's existence is primarily meant for the purification and progress of his embodied soul and to attain peace. The guidance and inspiration to lead a righteous life to reach the goal of perfection and get freedom from suffering have also been prescribed. The summit of Truth has to be reached not by mere presumptions and speculations but by adopting practical steps or processes directed or indicated by Nature. The first step is to make an unconditional surrender to Nature with a firm determination to develop faith, devotion and loyalty, obeisance and obedience to the mighty cosmic rule of God and His accredited representatives.
It is here that among all creations, only the life of a human being becomes meaningful and purposeful because he alone has the capacity to adhere to the divine directives and attain salvation. He can make an analytical study of the happenings around him and distinguish between good and evil. He can develop the power of reasoning and justify his actions which he had upheld according to the rules laid down in holy texts. But due to his increasing desires, he has forgotten the goal of salvation. Sages and saints were able to sacrifice the worldly pleasures. They lived a pure, noble, unblemished, unimpeachable and elevated life overflowing with compassion towards fellow beings.
The divine representatives have pointed out that a spiritual aspirant should give up his self-centred lise and build bridges of brotherhood on the foundation of compassion and sympathy for all humans. The advice of enlightened spiritual leaders should be sought. As gold and diamond have to be mined from rocks, pious persons can be found even among the masses as they distinguished themselves by their pious conduct.
In a lecture, Acharya Rajyesh Surishwarji said, a chieftain who went to a forest met a lewd ascetics who were in search of a proper route to cross the dense area and guided them properly. In return for his hospitality, they expounded to him the path to salvation through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. The chieftain turned deeply religious. Later, he was born as Vardhamana in a royal family but around the age of 30 years, he renounced his princely life and