Message of the Religion of Ahimsa

Author(s): A Chakravarti
Publisher: Z_Vijay_Vallabh_suri_Smarak_Granth_012060.pdf

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ACARYA VIJAYAVALLABHASŪRI COMMEMORATION VOLUME
free from birth and death. Such a desire is similar to the desire of a sick man to cure himself and attain normal health. Such a desire to be effective, the sick man must have implicit faith in his doctor, whom he consults. Next he must have a clear knowledge of the medicine prescribed by the doctor and thirdly he must take the medicine according to the instructions given by the doctor. Faith in the doctor, knowledge of the medicine, and taking the medicine as prescribed, all these three are necessary to eradicate the sickness and to secure normal health. Similar is the acquisition of spiritual health, which could be secured only by the co-operation of the three items of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.
What is the conception of God in Jaina Religion? What is the nature of God worshipped by the Jainas?
Jaina Darśana, just as Sānkhya Darśana and Mīmāṁsā Darśana, does not believe in the doctrine of creation or a Creator, or an įśvara, and yet believes in a Divine Being for whom the Jainas build temples and conduct religious worships. What is the nature of their God whom they worship? He is worshipped because he is the Revealer of the path to salvation. One who reveals the path to salvation and leads man along that path towards the ultimate goal must certainly be adored.
What is the qualification of such a Leader and Revealer of the path to salvation ? He must first of all be pure and free from all spiritual defects. How does he acquire such freedom from spiritual defects ? Such freedom he acquires by completely eradicating and destroying all such root causes by adopting a strenuous path of spiritual discipline or yoga. He is able to destroy all infirmities associated with the pure spiritual self. After destruction of all karmas by yogic dhyāna and severe tapas he acquires, Omniscience. He becomes the Lord and the Revealer of Dharma. Being a sarvajña, an all-knowing Supreme Being, he qualifies himself to be the leader of Humanity. Directing man towards the goal of perfertion, attaining omniscience and spiritual perfection for himself, he does not go self-satisfied. Since he is equipped with the supreme principle of Ahiṁsā, Universal Love, and unstinted reverence to life in general, the Lord, the Revealer of Truth, goes about the world preaching to people the spiritual truth that he achieved for himself. Such a divine person is interested in the welfare of all men irrespective of caste or race. Every person is entitled to learn truth. Therefore the Jaina leaders of Thought