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Celebrating Jain Society of Houston Pratishtha Mahotsav 1995
A WAY OF THINKING & LIVING
By Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu
This paper was presented at the Second Spiritual Conference in Geneva 1970
It is customary with us to commence our day and work with a brief prayer and I will do so now.
The other two contradicted them, each with a different color and different authority, but with the same querulousness and the same conviction. The storm in the tea cup was queued by another patient who explained to them that the window panes were multi-colored, much to the amusement of everybody.
A trivial quarrel, no doubt, and perhaps a trivial incident to be related here. But I ask you, "have not men of different religions argued with the same triviality, the same intolerance and the same vehemence, over the centuries?" You will all share my feelings when I say with the poet:
The prayer just recited is a prayer offered by the Jains. I have prayed that our conduct in life be guided by four principles - maitri (amity) pramoda (appreciation), karunya (compassion) and madhyasthya (equanimity).
'And much it grieves my heart to think What man has made of man.'
Jainism is neither a sect nor just one more conflicting ideology. It is a way of thinking and living.
I shall endeavor to explain these at a later stage in my discourse. Today humanity lives in a world which is full of strife and frustration. Commercial values keep gaining precedence. People seem to be full of greed, envy and pride. Not only do we try to keep up with the Joneses, but we try to reach out for their throats. There is a sense of isolation within human beings and hate-spinning ideologies keep gaining more ground. Our different faiths have a common aim, "to make us realize the essential family which we are". In practice they make us more aware of the divisions among us.
The beauty of Jain philosophy lies in the fact that its teachings assure the greatest happiness of the greatest number, not only of humans, but of all living beings, under all circumstances.
Its philosophy is not essentially founded on any particular writing or external revelation, but on the unfolding of spiritual consciousness which is the birthright of every soul. Mere words cannot give full expression to the truths of Jainism which must be felt and realized within.
Why have we all met here today from the four comers of the earth? Not to argue dogmatically over differences, but to break the barriers of racism and sectarianism - to learn something from each other, to see the same object from one another's point of view so that we can understand each other and help each other in solving our problems. The goal for each of us is the same, though the approach may be different. Argument will not take us any nearer the goal. I am here reminded of an incident which will bear out my point.
The Jains are advocates of the development theory: hence, their ideal is the development of the individual in all aspects: physical, mental and spiritual. Through knowledge and endeavor, the individual develops and unfolds the potential within him.
At an eye clinic where many patients were waiting for treatment, there were four men who were blind. One of them inadvertently touched a window pane and importantly announced to the others, 'This is a windowpane, it is red; my son told me so."
The word Jain is derived from the generic term "Jina". A person who conquers his lower nature, i.e. passion, hatred and the like, and achieves the state of the supreme being is called a Jina. There have been several Jinas and there can be many more in the future. A Jina who is a guiding force to his followers, renews principles of religions and regenerates the community is called a "Tirthankara".
Another cut him short, with the assertion that it was green and cited, with equal emphasis, the authority of a brother.
"No one gives advice with more enthusiasm than an ignorant person"
(Author Unknown)
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