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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
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that we can show compassion towards them by trying to help them according to our capacity and can surely be useful to them in their efforts to achieve what is good and beneficial.
The main objective of the reflection on helplessness is to bring home to man that he should become self-dependent without desiring help from others, should take shelter under the religion of the form of good qualities like benevolence, compassion, humility, self-control, etc., he should not be proud in spite of his having good qualities and spiritual powers and benevolent acts to his credit; on the contrary, he should be softhearted and humble.
There is no escape from the evil consequences of our evil acts. Such is the grim reality of helplessness. He who is disgusted with the thought of his own complete helplessness, does not seek to identify himself with his body and worldly objects. He seeks to walk on the path of religion shown by the omniscient Lord. For the beings coursing through the round of repeated metempsychosis, there is no other refuge except Faith, Wisdom and Morality which should therefore be honoured with utmost devotion. He who wants to be fearless and deathless must reflect on the omnipotence of Death or Time and adopt ways and means of going beyond the sphere of worldly existence. That is to say, he who wishes to be released from the terrible jaws of Death must immediately embark upon the career of achieving mokșa, the Final Release. The awareness of the fact of helplessness is the initial aim of this reflection; he who has this awareness becomes heedful and seeks only the Ultimate Release, sans fear and danger.
(3) Reflection on the world of transmigration (saṁsāra) In this reflection, one contemplates on the fact that all—whether rich or poor—are miserable. This type of reflection is necessary. It keeps man on the path of righteousness. One should reflect on this fact so that one may not deviate from the path of duty and good actions and may not be a victim of trifling temptations of the world. Others appear happy. But in fact those that appear happy do not consider themselves to be happy. Though man has enough means of happiness, he is not satisfied with them and looking to others' comparatively more wealth his discontentedness flares up and forced by the growing intensity of greed and desire he keeps himself fully engaged in increasing the evils of possessions as also in nourishing other evils connected with possessions. If he realises
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