________________
Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
91
ment developed in relation to things considered to be one's own and the aversion developed in relation to those considered to be alien to oneself have to be discarded and so one must reflect: “I am born alone, I die alone, and alone do I reap the fruits of the form of pleasure, pain, etc. yielded by the karmic seeds sown by myself.” This is called reflection on aloneness. It nourishes self-dependence and non-attachment.
This thought of loneliness should be viewed as enunciating the principle of individual liberty and individual responsibility extending to a person's trans-historical existences. One may prepare oneself to go to hell or to heaven; one may work one's way through the cycle of becoming or one may mobilise one's all resources to effect one's release once for all.
But we should remember that cooperation on which the society and the whole world are sustained is not attacked by the contemplation on aloneness. This means that others desire our help just as we desire others' help; this is an irrefutable fact. We can secure help from others to the extent we have capacity to help them. In securing benefits from our relations with others, what works is our capacity to help them. Wealth goes to him who is deserving. So, it is said, 'Deserve, then desire'. The reflection on aloneness teaches us to be deserving and capable. The aloneness means that the soul alone is useful for the cooperation of many, for the friendship of many and for the service of many. Aloneness does not mean that we should enjoy all the manifest and unmanifest benefits from the world and when we are required to give something in return we should say, 'I belong to nobody, nobody belongs to me, the world is unreal'; it is a case of roguery. The reflection on aloneness is not for strengthening selfishness, but for making us self-dependent and deserving. Again, in the state of helplessness, it saves man from being depressed and miserable and urges him to face difficulties and calamities with his entire energy single-handed. It makes us calm, perseverant and
patient.
Looking from another angle, the term 'ekatva' in the 'ekatvānuprekṣā' means oneness or unity. Thus, it ultimately means an association of mutually friendly human beings. On the strength of such association, there prevails happiness and peace in the world and the spiritual welfare is also attained. This type of reflection is called ekatvānuprekşā. (5) Reflection on difference (anyatva) This is the contemplation on the fact that the soul for which 'I' stands is different from body.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
