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Non-Sectarian and Liberal Outlook
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[Samatā (equanimity) means to regard all living beings as equal and also to look upon them as upon oneself. It also means to keep one's mind unagitated and calm on occasions of misery and happiness, gain and loss, victory and defeat, etc., without losing its balance or evenness.
Brahmacarya means not to crave for objects of senses and sensual pleasures, to have control over mind, to remain absorbed in the Supreme Soul and to follow wholeheartedly the Good Path leading onward to the state of Supreme Soul or Highest Bliss.)
Experience shows that Jainism is a system of spiritual philosophy. It puts great emphasis on the practice of spiritually good life. It mainly deals with ascetic culture and ethical behaviour. The sole object of its entire literature dealing with various subjects is to bring man to the Path of nonattachment, to instruct him how to advance on it and ultimately attain the state of perfect non-attachment. It repeatedly and emphatically proclaims that Supreme Good or Welfare solely depends on non-attachment. Its chief teaching is that man should live in such a manner that his passions of attachment and aversion may gradually decrease and ultimately suffer complete destruction. This instruction presents the final and highest message its entire literature delivers. It loudly proclaims that there is no harm in following any system of philosophy and practice, if it helps man to cultivate righteous conduct and to progress in the direction of the final goal of non-attachment. The guiding principle of one's life should be: mitti me savvabhūesu (May I have a friendly relation with all beings). One may adopt any system of thought and practice which suits one's temperament, the only condition being that it should foster universal friendliness and love.
Conclusion I have expounded in the present work, to the best of my ability and understanding, the main topics of Jaina philosophy and religion. I have treated of nine 'reals' (soul, non-soul, auspicious karmic matter, inauspicious karmic matter, influx of karmic matter, stoppage of the influx, bondage of karmic matter, partial dissociation of karmic matter from
1. kim bahuņā? iha jaha jaha rāgaddosā lahuṁ vilijjanti / taha taha payațțiavvañ esā āņā jinimdānam //
-Yaśovijayaji's Adhyatmamataparīkņā, last verse.
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