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Journey to Freedom
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life, what has he achieved in life and whether, taken as a whole, it was satisfying, pleasureful or painful. Answers may be of varying types but nobody will be able to say that he has been able to get permanent joy and happiness from the things of the world. On the final analysis, it would appear that so long as we are not able to approach the problems of life in a detached and objective manner we are not able to get joy and happiness from any activity however, altruistic, benevolent or high-minded it may be. Attachment, whether it is for physical objects, individuals or even ideas or ideals, always results in dejection. If this be the final lesson of life, the only solution which can be offered to life's problems is to try to achieve a condition of detachment, a condition of a Vitarāga, one whose all attachments are gone. Vitaraga is an expression of great significance. It is peculiar to Jaina epistemology as in other philosophical thinking, they have used the word Vairāgya or Virāga. Virága is the opposite of Raga ( attachment ) and being an opposite, it carries and idea of aversion. So the
ression Virága is, many a times. understood as dislike'. which is nothing but a negative form of attachment. But the expression Vitarága merely refers to a condition where all attachments are gone. There is no 'like' and no 'dislike'.
If the life is painful, it is no use cultivating dislike for it. The correct attitude is the attitude of Vitaraga. Mahavíra showed the way of achieving the state of a Vītaraga.
Greeks perhaps knew the stings of life as intimately. When the Greek Midas asked Silenus, 'what fate is best for man'. Silenus answered : "Pitiful race of a day, children of accidents and sorrow, why do you force me to say what were better left upheard ? The best of it all is unobtainable-not to be born, to be nothing. The second best is to die early.”
Silenus's attitude was rather cynical. Mahavira would not agree, however, with his statement that we are all children of 'accidents' and 'sorrow'. Mahāvīra never believed in accidents as according to him everything which happens in this
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