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Non-Violence : A Way of Life
जो देवाणवि देवो, जं देवा पंजलि नमसंति । तं देवदेवमहि, सिरसा वंदे महावीरं ।।
Jainism: The Cosmic Vision forgiveness". Once name of the Jain religion is Arhat dharma. The Jain religion says that if you are forgiving, you are meritorious. What is sleeping, wakens. Obscured jnana or darshana reveals itself. All distortions end.
All religions talk of sin. Some religions pray to God or expect miracles in order to be saved from the punishment for sin. The Jain philosophy says that there is no escape from punishment for sin. You can escape the punishment only if there is forgiveness in your mind. The Jain religion holds forgiveness in such a high esteem. We should prepare ourselves for forgiveness. The eight days of paryushana are for this preparation. The first important element of pratikramana is forgiveness. The first step to forgiveness is equanimity. For this there is samayika. Samayika means awareness of the present.
Then comes pratikramana. Then comes atonement. Knowingly or unknowingly, man transgresses the law every moment. He breaks the law. To return to the law, we perform pratikramana.
We ourselves ask forgiveness and inspire others to forgive. How to develop such fearlessness, such courage ? His pet disciple Gautam asked Bhagwan Mahavira, "Why do you talk of forgiveness every now and then ?"
Bhagwan replied, “By forgiving, we first feel elated and subsequently a peculiar sense of inner delight."
[1 bow down my head in obeisance to Mahavira, who is worshipped by the great gods, who is the god of gods and to whom gods pray with folded hands.]
Before Bhagwan Mahavira was born, every soul upon this earth was in intense distress. A few men in their vain belief of so-called heaven turned life on earth into hell. Men had given up all efforts and believed in fate entirely. Their hands, legs and minds had become inert. He believed that everything is shaped by destiny, but not by self
help.
In those days temples had become haunts of trickery and deceit. All religious lives were reduced to the performance of sacrificial rites and offerings. The way to redemption lay through sacrificial killings, people believed. Many living beings were consumed by the blazing fire of sacrifices. Thousands of beasts lost their lives on the altar.
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