Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): J L Jaini, F W Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

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INTRODUCTION : GENERAL
xxi
The question "How best to live ?” may be split up into its two aspects : ethical and ritualistic. The problem of ethics is the problem of man's conduct in society; ritual deals with man's life with reference to his conception of God.
Thus the subject may most conveniently be arranged under four heads1. Theology: man's idea of God and his relation
to Him. 2. Metaphysics : man's conception of matter and
force, life, time and space, etc.; specially the problem of the physical universe and the thinking mind, to which through thought at
least it is subject. 3. Ethics: man's duty in life to himself and to
society. 4. Ritual: the way of inanifesting his theology in
the company of those who hold the same
theological views. These four aspects may be considered one by one.
Theology These questions which we put to ourselves in theology proper are: “What is God?” “What is our relation to God ?” The answer to the first question is: God is the highest ideal which man can think of. To the second question: We stand to God as the actual does to the ideal, and it is our duty to try and rise as far as we can to that ideal.
The highest ideal is that which is best for the individual and for humanity. Now it so happens