On Life and Liberation

Author(s): Mukesh Chhajer
Publisher: Mukesh Chhajer

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On Life and Liberation
gates. If it is by design that one can attain Moksha only during a certain period of universal time, then there has to be a designer who works beyond the confines of self-effort, a concept that certainly is anathematic to the very principles of Jainism. In Jainism, we believe that liberation is attained purely by selfeffort; there is no Supreme Lord and his grace to hasten the entry of a soul in the Moksha or his displeasure to prevent it. We may assign this role to universal time itself, but it is an ajiva and, therefore, cannot initiate an action without the help of a jiva. Even if it could, then external time itself will become the external controlling authority that can influence the process of liberation of a jiva and, thus, undermine the supremacy of the self-effort. It is like going from here to New York. One can reach there by plane, car, train, foot or any other means. Each journey will take different amount of time but when you reach New York, it is there and there is no one to stop you from entering the city. All one needs to get there is the will and the necessary resources and effort. One may, of course, decide not to take a direct route but follow a more scenic but convoluted path. In that case, he may arrive in New York at still another time yet enter the city at will. The time of arrival just depends upon the mode of transportation and the path chosen. The only way a person would not be able to enter the city is if some external authority decides to forbid the person's entry into the city.
Therefore, the concept of absolute and single time for everyone with the availability of the Moksha only during a certain period, and the idea that liberation is attained purely by self-efforts (purushartha) are contrary to each other. One way to reconcile this apparent contradiction is to realize that time is not absolute and single but relative and plural. Each individual is subjected to two different times, one is external and the other is internal. He can follow his own time and progress at his own
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