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The Path of Arhat : A Religious Democracy
action is unavoidable so long as life persists. But action without attachment is as good as 'no-action' -- a situation which is known as 'Akarma' in Gită. 'Sthitaprajña' of Gita is the ideal of human beings in action. None of the Indian systems of philosophical thoughts has shunned the duties which one owes to his family, his society or his nation or to the humanity at large. What is shunned is doing the same with expectations. Almost all the Tirthankaras ( Prophets ) of Jainas hailed from the warrior class called Ksatriyas. Many of them were Cakravartins ( emperors ) who had fought bitter wars. But when they retired they could achieve their goal of total liberation. They could not have achieved this had they not remained detached while ruling as Cakravartins, as also while fighting wars. King Janaka, the father of Sitá supplies the brilliant example of how one can even rule a kingdom without attachment. Action without attachment is, therefore, not unknown to Indian culture. Hence the Jainism, like other Indian philosophical systems, does not insist that renunciation of the worldly affairs is a sine qua non of literation from Karmic bondage. Even good actions biud, if motivated
While talking of karmic bondages, it must he noted that Jainism does not approve of even so called good actions resulting in 'Punya' meaning righteousness or virtues, if they are done with a motive to earn something in return either in this life or in the next, because the good actions taken with such motives result in the bondages of Punya'. Law of causation would surely give you proper reward for your good actions, but this will not result in total liberation which is the final goal of spiritual ascendency. Such actions therefoie result in the bondage of golden chains and it matters not if the chains which bind you are made of gold or of iron. Such actions are therefore described as Pupyánubandhi Papa meaning sin having a gloss of righteousness. There are certain undesirable actions which a man is compelled to take to protect some virtues. For example, a molester of a helpless
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