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Celebrating Jain Society of Houston Pratishtha Mahotsav 1995
According to Jain tradition, Adinatha, who dates back to the beginning of the world, was the first Tirthankara, and founder of the Jain religion. Today, we live in the era of Bhagwan Vardhman Mahavir, the 24th and last Tirthankara. Bhagwan Mahavir was born in 599 BC in modem Bihar, lived to the age of 72 years and attained moksha, i.e. liberation, in 526 BC He revived the Jain philosophy 2500 years ago. Since that time Bhagwan Mahavir has been the spiritual guide of the Jains.
The doctrine of ahimsa is both an individual and a collective virtue. The principle of ahimsa has great potential significance, because it is basic in concept and universal in its moral principles, which are full of depth. Karuna and Ahimsa are two sides of the coin of Reverence for Life. Karuna means tender mercy and understandings: Ahimsa means refraining from violence. This is love for all living beings.
Even now about ten million Jains of India practice the teaching of Bhagwan Mahavir and it is the duty of their mentors to guide them in practicing it in its spirit in this rapidly changing world. "What then is the essence, the spirit of Jainism?" - you may ask.
'In happiness or suffering, in joy or grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard ourselves.. We should, therefore, refrain from inflicting upon others such injury as would appear undesirable to us, if inflicted upon ourselves."
Jainism, viewed as a whole, rests on the four pillars which are ahimsa (non-violence), anekantwad (theory of relativity), aparigraha (non-acquisition) and karma (fruit of actions).
Ahimsa in Jainism is not only physical non-violence, but it is also non-violence of speech and thought. One can harm others by harsh speech or even by uncharitable thoughts and this form of violence must also be abjured. The practice of non-violence does not stop with the devotee, himself following the principles of non-violence. It goes further, inasmuch as no violence shall be commissioned or consented to by an honest devotee of non-violence.
NON-VIOLENCE, THEORY OF RELATIVITY, NON-ACQUISITION AND FRUIT OR
ACTIONS
The instinct of self-preservation is universal Every animate being clings to life and fears death.
The universe is not for humanity alone; it is a field of evolution for all living beings. Live and help let live is the motto of Jainism. Life is sacred, irrespective of not only caste, color, creed or nationality, but also species - at all levels - right down to the tiny ant or the humble worm.
We now turn to anekantwad (theory of relativity). Gunratna Suri, the commentator of a Jain work called Comparative Philosophy' says: "Although the various schools of philosophy, through sectarian bigotry, differ from and contradict one another, still there are certain aspects of truth in them which would harmonize if they were joined into an organic whole."
The entire Universe is full of living beings. We cannot even sit quietly and breathe without killing and harming life around ourselves. Then the question will arise, "How can we live in this world without taking life and thereby committing violence? Life at this rate will become impossible."
The age-old saying of a coin having two sides" is well known to this gathering. Jainism, however, makes this one of its basic principles. It requires that any object, situation or controversy be looked at from all aspects. An individual who allows his vision to be narrowed by turning a deaf ear to the opinions of others, or a community or nation that does this, is heading for selfdestruction.
Perform all your activities, but with great care. It demands constant wakefulness. Where an action is done with due care not to hurt anyone, no violence is committed. The emphasis has been laid on the word "care".
As long as we live as members of society, besides what we owe a to ourselves for our spiritual betterment, we owe great deal to the society in which we have to live. In our desire to continue our life so that we may do the highest good while living, we are obliged to destroy life, but the fewer and the lower the forms of life we destroy, the less harmful the karmas or deeds we generate. This leads to strict vegetarianism to minimize violence.
Jainism promises to reconcile all the conflicting schools, not by inducing any of them necessarily to abandon their favorite standpoints but by proving to them that the standpoints of all others are tenable. They may be representative of some aspects of truth which can, with some modification, be represented. The integrity or truth consists in this very variety of all its aspects. This philosophy makes the Jains catholic in their outlook and ever ready to understand the nature of other systems of theology.
"We are like beasty when we kill, like men when we judge; like God when we forgive"
(Leonardo da Vinci)
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