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statue, which was of a woman, beautifully painted and dressed, and thought that without life it was not of much use. So with his knowledge of magic and mysticism, he introduced life into it. At day break there stood before them a beautiful woman. Each one claimed the sole credit of making her. They quarrelled and quarrelled until they came to the conclusion that each one had contributed his share in the production of the woman.
We see the same spectacle in the religious and philosophical world, each system claiming the sole credit of having given to the world the whole truth. Bearing the moral of the story in mind, I have cho. sen as the subject, “Contribution of Jainism to Philosophy, History, and Progress.”
"Jain" (properly speaking, “Jaina") means a follower of Jina, which is a generic term applied to those persons (inen and women) who conquer their lower nature ( passion, hatred and the like ) and bring into prominence the highest. There lived many such Jinas in the past and many will doubtless yet be born. Of such Jinas those who become spiritual heads and regenerators of the community are called Arhats (the deserving ones), or Tirthan karas ( bridgemakers in the figurative sense--that is those by the practice of whose teaching we can cross the ocean of mundane life and reach the perfect state ). Hence the Jains are also called
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