Religion and Philosophy of the Jainas

Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Jain International Ahmedabad

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CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT women living only for the gratification of the senses, that is, pleasures of the world, eating, drinking, fine dress etc., and the higher class made up of people that devote time and energy for spiritual good, the majority belonging to the second class. A person belonging to the lowest class desiring to elevate himself must make certain sacrifices, so also should one belonging to the second class. That which was formerly gross must now be ennobled. That which was greed must now be transmuted into an unflinching will to accomplish the spiritual good. That which was passion and lust must now be changed into a burning love for all. But this change is to be accomplished through the Law of Sacrifice.
From these considerations the ancient sages of India made certain rules for people who naturally, in the stage which they have reached, would keep self-gratification as an end and aim of life; in whom, in fact, the lower nature was so strong and powerful that nothing would set them to work except a desire for the gratification of the senses. And looking around us today we shall find that the majority of human beings are in that category. Few are the men and women whose life and conduct are purely based on altruistic motives; rare are the people in whom the thought of the little self does not control some of their acts and movements. Persons who have devoted their whole life to the service of humanity, aye, to the good of all living beings, are few and far between. And still the majority of human beings in whom the lower nature is more powerful can by degrees be elevated to a higher plane where they can be taught to look upon life as a field for the performance of duty and not as an arena of self-gratification. This idea can be introduced in all departments of life. Just analyse the mental condition of the person who works for his own gratification. For everything that he does he wants a reward. He wants a reward because there are still within him many desires controlling his very being, he has not yet mastered his lower nature, at times he becomes its slave. Now, in order to liberate him from this slavish condition, the wise men of the East