Book Title: Jainism by Vividus
Author(s): Ramnik V Shah
Publisher: Ramnik V Shah Canada

Previous | Next

Page 152
________________ a very high degree of intelligence and therefore the followers generally know more of its rituals and rites, ceremonials and laudatory prose and verse compositions, the dogmas and the recitations to Tirthankars and its pantheon of lesser gods, in reality only the higher elemental beings more vital than of any other plane, rather than its complicated structure laying down the principles. To nonfollwers it is little known because Jainism is extremely indifferent to criticism and seldom pushes itself into any type of assertive publicity, mainly on account of it is inherently highly noble and tolerant philosphy. Only the presnt enlarged awareness and consciouness of the new Age has today created sufficient interest in it and this, I am sure, will compel Jainism to come out of its closed ivory doors. The process has already begun, All Religions are both subjective and objective. In their subjective aspects, religions are pure, creedless, sincere motivations towards the Oneness, the sameness all of that is illuminating and sanctifying the self and in their objective aspects, these motivations and spiritual afflata are being translated into rites, rituals, dogmas, poems and ceremonies. The former do not change with time except for new and elevating spiritual experiences though maintaining the essence; the latter "inspite of having a profound purpose of effecting a change of heart whenever they make the reasoning faculties in alignment with the law and order of the Cosmic" always change or get added to and even distorted and twisted according to the place, the author and the time. And gleaning out the essence out of them is not a simple affair. It is highly complex, so complex in fact that there are as many differences as there are human beings. When Einstein referred to religion, he certainly referred to religion in the former sense and not in the sense of dogmas, practices, rites and rituals, He said, "Religion without Science is blind and Science without Religion is lame". Science and Religion in their subjective aspects of essence never change. They only change as newer and newer knowledge is revealed though experiences to mankind on the horizons. We must always remember: Eve 36

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212