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(preceptors) I pay obeisance to upadyayas
(teachers)
I pay obeisance to any pure soul or ascetic irrespective of the faith to which he or she may belong.
The last line encourages the followers of the Jain religious tradition to transcend the narrow bounds of sectarian considerations and bow before any pure soul. It is enough to prove that the Jain religious tradition is an ideal forum for an interfaith dialogue. It is the only tradition in the world that believes that any person belonging to any tradition can attain to the state of salvation. Unlike others it believes that it is not necessary for a person to become a Jain in order to attain to the state of arhat - or emancipation or mukti or salvation. What is needed is the purity in its true form.
The other sources within our tradition that promote interreligious amity and world peace are its principles of ahimsa (nonviolence) and aparigrah (non-possession). 'Ahimsa paramodharma' -nonviolence is the highest form of religion is the essence of Jainism. Mahatma Gandhi was so impressed by the cult of nonviolence as propounded by Lord Mahavira that he pledged himself to observe the vow of nonviolence scrupulously all his life and used it as a powerful weapon to force the Britishers to give freedom to India. The concept of nonviolence as preached by Jainism does not mean mere abstaining oneself from killing. Some people mistake it to be non-killing which is absolutely wrong. Ahimsa is much more than avoiding physical violence. I would like to reproduce briefly the episode from the life of a great king Prasenjit who grew disillusioned with the materialistic power that he wielded as a king. He renounced his kingdom even when his son was a child and became a Jain monk. He was a contemporary of Lord Mahavira.
He went to a forest and began to perform tapasya (undergoing religious austerities and self-denial). He remained in a state of of meditation for most of his time. Once some members of his erstwhile kingdom passed through that forest and saw him standing motionless in a meditative posture. Seeing him, a member remarked. 'Look at this foolish man! He has renounced his kingdom leaving his child to the mercy of a few wicked courtiers. They are now plotting to kill him and usurp the
The Jain Religious Tradition
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