Jain Journal 2001 07

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

Page 37

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JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXVI, No. 1 July 2001
had not practised himself. He showed the path of patience, forbearance, self denial, pity, forgiveness, humanitarianism and consideration. In other words, he asked the people to follow the message of love, kindness and sacrifice.
In Jainism, nirvana was the ultimate object of life and according to Mahāvira, it consists in the attainment of peace and infinite bliss. The harmonious combination of three jewels (tri-ratna) - right faith, right knowledge and right conduct -- were the essential points, which lead to perfection by the destruction of karma. Moksa or salvation is a function neither only of faith nor only of knowledge, nor again of morality alone. It is a joint product of all the three. Again, the three are interconnected. Without right faith, there is no knowledge; without right knowledge, there is no virtuous conduct; without virtues, there is no deliverance and without deliverance, there is no perfection.
For the realisation of absolute happiness, Mahāvīra taught five Vows (pañcamahāvrata), which were ahimsā (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non stealing or honesty), aparigraha (non possession) and brahmacarya (celibacy). Among the five, he gave much importance to his first vrata, non-violence or ahimsā and that is why, he has been called in the Jain world 'the apostle of non-violence'. His teaching of ahimsā was no doubt a revolutionary step with regard to the socio-economic condition of that period, when the violent practices were very much in use in all the socio-religious sacraments and functions in the forms of various yajñas. The non-violence of Mahāvira was not only preached against killing of animals in religious sacrifices, but it was preached in its minute form and was much more extensive in scope. Keeping ill will against someone in thought or speaking harsh words to anyone is as good as an example of himsā as inflicting any bodily injury to anybody. In other words, Mahāvira believed in nonviolence not merely in action, but also in word and thought. So, mere avoidance of killing somebody is not ahimsā, rather it is much more than this. It was a terrific challenge to social unequalities and was a . protest against mutual jealousies, hatred, conflict and pride, resulting from wealth and the feeling of high and low. The non-violence of Jainism has been considered as the greatest rule of conduct of this cult to the world and great personalities as well as champions of peace, from Asoka to Akbar to Mahatma Gandhi, who accepted it as the sole way of their lives.
The meaning of truth (satya) does not specify that one should abstain from falsehood only, but its concept is to see the world in its real and natural form. Truth, if it is harmful to others, should be