Jainism a Glimpse

Author(s): Punyadarshanvijay
Publisher: Sanmarg Prakashan

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ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHART:
To understand and appreciate the chart a simple illustration:
A Villager from a remote interior forest who has never seen, heard or dreamt about the outside world, except his limited surroundings, lack of education, can utter only a few words, he eats local available roots, wild berries and uncooked food.
By a queer chance he is taken to a big city by an air-craft. He sees oceans, steamers, railways, cars, hundred storeyed buildings, cinemas, televisions, well-dressed people and excellent food, etc.
After six months, feeling lonely, he desires to go home. He is taken back to his village. There is excitement everywhere. They are eager to know what he has seen and known. How can he describe the flying experience, oceans, railways, hundred storey buildings, the food he has eaten, etc.?
There are no words, his knowledge is limited, how can he explain? There are things which can be explained. There are others which can't be expressed. He tries by similes and by gestures. His friends and relatives can't grasp and appreciate, it is beyond their imagination. Even though what he has seen, known and eaten is an absolute truth but they consider him delirious, or out of his mind or stark - mad.
For a change, let us consider ourselves in the place of the villager and his friends. Desires and passions, pleasures and miseries we know, but not the reasons or/and the results thereof.
Why ?
We have to study the 'Karmaṇa Theory', the cycle of death and rebirth, four kinds of existences.
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