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The Spirit of Mahâvîra's Teachings
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be liberated into its natural proportions through the removal of hindrances by way of Karma. Liberation, therefore, is the recovery of authentic individuality. This ideal is also not looked upon as the individual self attaining union with God or absorption into the Absolute. There is no God or the Absolute, other than the intrinsic destiny of each soul. Each soul is Infinite, Ananta, in power, Virya, Knowledge, Jnana, intuition, Darsana and Joy, sukha.
Avoiding details, it may be recognized that the fundamental pathway to the Supreme ideal is Right conduct, Right intuitive faith and Right knowledge. The synthetic spirit of this programme is obvious, is philosophy, mysticism and morality are assimilated into it. The process of achievement is to be initiated and executed by the individual himself. There is no theological supplementation of human effort. This is spiritualization of life through a progressive dematerialization. So much is clear and it follows smoothly from the general metaphysical frameworķ.
There is something special in the concept of Right conduct. It is formulated into an arduous and thoroughgoing way of life. In particular, there is great emphasis on austerity, Tapas and non-violence, Ahimsa. Perhaps no other religion of the world takes these twin virtues to such seemingly impracticable extremes. May be, the modern temper witnessing the ghastly devastations engineered by man's violence and hatred, will readily welcom? the ethics of non-violence and compassion. Thanks to Alburt Sweitzer, a mahatma of our times, we are coming to recognize ‘Reverence for Life' as the Supreme principle of Ethics. But this noble ideal becomes frothy sentiment unless it is founded on the principle of austerity, the Law of self-denial on the physical plane. A hedonistic ethics cannot generate 'creative altruism'. The hard way of ascetic self-effacement is the indispensable bed-rock for the universality of spirit, all the ancient masters had recognized this logic. We must lose our life in order to gain the higher life. In the fight against the lower self the sage Vardhamana, was an incomparable hero. Hence the devout tradition calls him the 'great hero' Mahâvîra'. May we cherish his great name, his great image, so that our little lives may progress somewhat in righteousness!
