________________
Approach to Reality
37 achieved, sometimes takes us off the rails of the right perspective of our personality. We gloat in our glory and we move with half open eyes in the illusion of
superiority. This is the Vanity of superiority. (iii) Kula mada refers to the arrogance of the status of the
family and birth. A person born in a high family and endowed richly with the emenities of life is likely to lose the balance of his mind in the matter of estimating his personality in the right perspective. He thinks no end of himself and he develops an attitude of conceit for his way of life and disdain for the lower rung of society, He looks at the lowliest and the lost with sneering disdain. He is far away from the path of rightness of
understanding and righteousness. (iv) Jatimada is the arrogance of birth in a particular ‘higher
society and community. This also makes him lose the balance of the perspective of life and society. It leads him towards the disdain of the lowly in society and
exploit them to his advantage. (v) Bala mada In this, one develops the sense of superiority
for strength and valour. He may become a tyrant and maniac. Adolf Hitler is an example of a person who suffered from the illusion of racial superiority and of the need for the extermination of the Jewish people. He was so full of arrogance of power and authority, that when, once, it is reported, Lord Chamberlain asked him how he was so confident of winning the war for which he was so greatly clamouring. Adolf Hitler called a few of his guards of the suicide squad and ordered them to jump from the 4th floor and die. The Guards did jump and die. They had to sacrifice their lives for the sake of glorifying the power of Adolf Hitler. This is the arrogance of strength and power.
(vi) Rddhimada This is the vanity of the possession of some
extra-ordinary power. The possession of miracles and
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
