Path of Arhat

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Sohanlal Smarak Parshwanath Shodhpitha Varanasi

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Chapter Three THE ULTIMATE REALITY
"It is only when we transcend the limits of ordinary biological man that we can come in contact with pure personality which Upanişadas call Ātman or the self. This pure self is one in all and is identical with the highest reality of the Universe. It is pure spirituality and pure experience (Jñana ) and as such, the absolute concrete Truth. Self is the ultimate reality and experiences are extraneous to it.”]
Jainism sees the whole universe as a great cosmic mechanism 'with its own self propelling force', and we being a part of that mechanism, our 'religion' consists of conducting ourselves in harmony with that mechanism. If this is so, we have got to understand what this mechanism is and how it works.
This brings to us many questions of metaphysical importance, viz., who created this universe and who sustains it? Are our destinies governed by some outside force or is there any other set of rules which govern our fate ?
The man, in his pursuit to seek answers to these questions seems to have evolved the concept of God. Some believe that 'God' has created this universe and sustains it It is further believed that the man is punished for his sins-the original of which commenced with Adam and Eve tasting the forbidden fruit. They do not believe in the theory of trans-migration of soul but contend that a day of reckoning will come when everyone will be alive from his grave to receive God's judge. ment for his good and bad deeds in this life. This is the occidental idea of an everlasting individual personality as conceived by Greeks and passed on to Christianity. The redemption
I. Dasgupta, S. N. : History of Indian Philosophy.