Jaina Path of Ahimsa

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir Research Centre

Page 15

MEANING OF JAINISM
Jainism is a religion propounded by a Tina'. Principles enunciated by a Jina' constitute Jainism and the follower of Jainism is known as a 'Jaina'. Further, a Jina' is neither a supernatural being nor an incarnation of an all-powerful God. The word Tina' means the conqueror or the victorious, i. e., one who has conquered the worldly passions by one's own strenuous efforts. Human beings are entitled to become Tinas' and as such Vinas' are persons of this world who have attained supreme knowledge, subjugated their passions and are free from any sort of attachment. Jainism is nothing but a set of principles preached by such persons known as Jinas'. Hence Jainism is not an Apaurusheya religion, i. e., a religion propounded by a non-human being or based on a sacred book of non-human origin. On the contrary, Jainism is a religion of purely human origin and it has emanated from the mouth of a dignitary who has secured the omniscience and self-control by his own personal efforts. In short, Jainism is the substance of preachings of dignitaries who have attained the state of Tinas'.
Further, after attaining self-realisation by conquering the five senses and by destroying all the 'Karnas', i. e. bondages of life and after acquiring 'Kevala Jñāna', i. e., the omniscient knowldege, the Jina' spends the rest of his time in 'Dharmaprabhāvanā', i. e., preaching the principles of religion to the mass of human beings. Not satisfied with his own self-realisation, the Jina' engages himself in the noble task of helping his fellowbeings with his message of Dhanna, i. e., religion, which would enable the ordinary mortals to reach the summum bonum of life and attain the same spiritual status of perfection which he himself has acquired by his own personal efforts. Because of this noble task of showing the 'Mokshamārga', i. e., the path of spiritual realisation, Jina is also called Tirthankara. This term 'Tirthankara' or Prophet means one who helps human beings to cross the ocean of