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44 Kshamapana itself when the anantanubandhi (continuing since endless times) passions (kashayas) get tranquilized. Some errors are realized only in a day's time. Sometimes anger lasts for one day, sometimes, for a fortnight and sometimes, for four months. Sometimes anger is like a pebble thrown into water and sometimes it is like a line drawn on the sands on a river-bank. It soon gets obliterated by the wind. Sometimes anger is like an inscription on stone. That is why in the daily pratikramana, forgiveness is asked for offences made during twenty-four hours, in the fortnightly pratikramana, forgiveness is asked for offences made in the fortnight, and in the chomasi pratikramana, forgiveness is asked for offences made during four months. But sometimes anger lasts for a year. Samvastsari pratikramana is for this.
Forgiveness saves us, attachment kills us. If forgiveness expresses itself in purely good (sattvaguni) sense, enmity and opposition do not rise. But the forgiveness given in rajoguni and tamoguni sense does not purify the soul. Forgive. ness in sattvika sense destroys innumerable sins and prevents the inflow of new karma in future. If during the period of one year enmity or jealousy towards someone has come to arise he should be
Kshamapana 45 asked forgiveness. If we miss it, the sin is cemented on the slate of Karma. In that case samyakatva is lost and mithyatva comes to arise. That is why the duty of forgiveness on the day of the greatest festival (parvadhiraja) assumes great significance.
That is why Shrimad Rajchandra introduces forgiveness as the grand gateway to emancipa. tion. According to the Jain Religion, excellent Kshama is the first of the ten prescribed duties. Forgiveness has different categories such as upkara-kshama, apakara-kshama, vipakakshama, etc. All these categories of forgiveness are found in our life but he who rises to vachana kshama and then dharma-kshama or sahaja. kshama easily attains emancipation. The Buddhist religion shows different attainments of excellence and says that he who adopts the quality of forgiveness and develops it to its highest degree, easily attains emancipation.
Whom do we call the Tirthankara ? We call him Kshamashramana. when we go to temple we say, "I wish forgiveness". Once name of the Jain religion is Arhat dharma. The Jain religion says that if you are forgiving you afre meritorious. What is sleeping, wakens. Obscured jnana or darshana reveals itself. All distortions end.
