Nandanvana

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 21

DEFINITION OF RELIGION AND JAINISM*
Hue Shermann' writes that the 'virus' of problems infected the men since the days of materialization of the divine will of "I am alone, let me be many" and the origination of the world. This virus has taken many forms and there is no limit about its complexity. How best it could have been that man might have remained alone and single. His world itself became a problem for him.
Chapter - 1
The problem has many facets, physical, psychological, social and modern. In fact, religion is the only cure of these problems. The scientists presume that the world is with beginning and without the end and gradually developing. Their opinion is in contrast with that of the religionists. There are many such differing points of view with the scientists. However, with the development of the creation and man, he lost the freedom of being alone and, thus, originated the idea about social and personal duties and obligations. This was the origin of religion. Despite the enquirer's attitude of pantheism of Vedic age, the Sūtrakṛtānga mentions indirectly that religiosity develops due to the ignorance and fear for sins, etc. The same fact presented by the intellectuals today by interpolatary technique. The Bible also indicates the origin of religion due to plucking the fruits of the tree of ignorance.
According of Jainism, the world is a never-ending cycle of creation and destruction. Every destruction-period follows a creationperiod where many types of living beings come into existence. This state also leads towards the idea of self-protection and alien welfare' One's activity towards this objective is also called religion. With the
Originally published in `Nirgrantha`, Ahmedabad (India), Vol. 2, 1996, p. 92-100.