Jainism and Democracy

Author(s): Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: I A S S Jain Conference New Delhi

Page 28

THREE IDEALS OF LIFE
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It is already there as one's own self. The only thing is that the individual self is not aware of it. As soon as he comes to realize it he becomes it. Here the realization and becoming are one and the same thing. Not only this but the above-mentioned three ideals of power, knowledge and happiness also merge into one another. Here knowledge is power and power is knowledge, and the same is happiness.
The Vedanta analyses entire existence into five categories :
1. Existence (Asti) 2. Knowledge (Bhati) 3. Happiness (Priya) 4. Form (Roopa) 5. Name (Nama)
Qut of five the first three are Brahman, the reality and last two are enternal world, phenomenal appearance. It means that this universe is nothing but the external manifestations, or a play of power, knowledge and happi
ness.
After the Upanishads this actoin of life came to be recognized Universally. Some systems approached it positively others negatively. Some gave it a form with an emphasis on a particular aspect, others worshipped it without any form. The history of Indian religions moves around this central point.
Jainism admits soul as the sum-total of four infinities i.e. infinite knowledge, (Anant Jnāna), infinite sensa
tion (Anant Darshana), infinite bliss (Anant Sukha) and