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THE PATH
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with complete success by the innumerable Jinas or Arhats themselves. Those among them who also expounded, preached and established this Path, with the object of leading mankind safely across the ocean of mundane existence (samsāra) that is full of pain and misery, are known as the Tirthankaras (lit., ford-finders).
These Jinas or Tirthankaras were originally ordinarily human beings who, by a course or strenuous self-discipline, asceticism and concentrated spiritual meditation, mastered the flesh, annihilated all forces and influences obstructing spiritual development, entirely purged their soul of all impurities and aberrations, and attained the fullest and clearest self-realisation and absolute spiritual perfection in that very life. They succeeded in bringing out to the full the divinity, the very godhood, inherent in man. It was only after this superb achievement that they preached the Path for the good, welfare and happiness of all living beings, without any distinction whatsoever.
The Path, thus, envisages the salvation of all living beings, human and subhuman, and recognises no barriers of sex, age, race, colour, caste, creed, class or status. Everybody, who is desirous of leading a healthy, good, noble, peaceful and happy life, can benefit by adopting this Path which is regulated so as to encompass of varying degress of spiritual development, from the lowest state of decadence to the highest plane of godhood. Every individual, according to his or her need, aptitude, inclination, capacity, background and circumstances, can quaff to heart's content at this ocean of sweet serenity.
One obvious excellence of this Path is that even if one does not at once agree with its metaphysical and philosophical bases, or accept the Jaina conception of salvation, emancipation and liberation, but adopts the Path, in whatever degree or to whatever extent, with sincerity and in the true spirit, he will certainly find himself a better human being than he was before.
