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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM"
He knows by his own knowledge the time when he should adopt renunciation. He takes permission from his parents to retire from the world. A year before his initiation, countless celestial beings come to him and says "O Lord, show the path of virtue and rectitude."
A year after, he enters the path of initiation with great festivities, but he makes no one his teacher or preceptor as he himself is supposed to be the preceptor of the three worlds. As he is full of knowledge, he relinquishes all sins and practices severest austerities. He destroys all four kinds of destructive karmas that impede soul's progress and becomes self-enlightened.
He then preaches truths and reveals virtue and rectitude. The Tīrthankara, never desires any reward for his good act; his teachings is beneficial alike to a prince and a beggar, a Brāhmaṇa and a Cāņdāla and take one beyond the ocean of rebirth, a fundamental philosophy accepted by most systems of Indian philosophy.
The merits of Tīrthankara cannot adequately be described, even by high celestial beings, such as Indra and therefore, impossible for a human. Even then Jaina Ācāryas have made some attempts.
A Tīrthankara is endowed with infinite qualities-a few of which are as under:
Infinite pure knowledge, infinite pure vision, infinite power of action, infinite five-fold possession, forgiveness, un-covetousness, uprightness, pridelessness, humility, truth, self-control, selflessness, celibacy, compassion, benevolence, absence of hatred and passion, equality of disposition towards friend and foes, gold and stone, abstinence from flesh-food, wine and other uneatable things and immovability. He is ocean of compassion. He is powerful valiant, sober, courageous, fearless, devoid of evil speaking, un-egoistic, and desirous to save even those who do him ill. This is the description of
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