Book Title: Most Ancient Aryan Society
Author(s): Ram Chandra Jain
Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research Sriganganagar Rajasthan
View full book text
________________
( 51 )
death.28 The Bharatiyan divided the Samsara (World), where the souls whirled in Lower Regions, Central (Earthly) Regions and Upper Regions. The Egyptians divided the world into Hades, Earth and Heaven and the Sumerians into Nether World, Earth and Heaven or the Land of the Blest. Thirdly, Bhāratīyans believed in the doctrine of Final Attainment. The awakened persons having RightView (Samyaktva) 29 shall, one day or the other, have Final Attainment. Salvation and Liberation are imperfect words which do not carry the full significance of the concept of Siddhi. The nature of the State of Siddhi is inexpressible in words. The path of births is quitted.30 Soul completely detaches itself from Matter. It is the state of spiritual perfection and consummation of knowledge. Siddhi is known to the Egyptians as Blamelessness and to the Sumerians as Immortality; though the contexts make them only a diluted Siddhi. The Bharatiyans, fourthly, believed in the doctrine of Karma (Effortiveness). The Soul is inherently free. It is free to do good or evil. Matter is bondage and bondage is Samsara (World). The freedom of soul rules out any interference by one soul in the freedom of the other soul. All the living beings are like one's own self.31 No exterior force bestows upon man, Siddhi. A man has to earn it by his own incessant and persistent right and personal efforts. The Right Knowledge in Truth and Existence is the first requisite. The second requisite is Right Faith. The third requisite is Right Conduct. The path of Right Conduct, with Right Faith in the final aim and the path leading to it, armed with Right Knowledge leads to Final Attainment. The Right Effort, thus, is of supreme importance
in life.
Āchārānga Sūtra is the embodiment of the docrines of Right Effort. Āchāra means Right Effort. The causes
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org