Risabha Deva

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 12

INTRODUCTION
This Rishabha Deva was the founder of Jainism, which is still flourishing in different parts of India. The teaching of Jainism is centered round the Soulnature. It aims at the attainment of the highest excellence for the soul. Its motto is ahimsa, that is universal love, which it describes as the key to success. Excellent forgiveness. excellent meekness, excellent veracity, excellent uprightness, are amongst the virtues the Jainas are required to cultivate. Renunciation is encouraged, but not so as to leave the matters of the life of this world in neglect. Both the here and the herealter must be taken care of, though the hereafter is the more important of the two, from the point of view of the individual soul. From the Society's standpoint the here is equally important; for once it is allowed to be encroached upon by hostile external or internal elements its stability and integrity are sure to be lost; and without social stability how shall the individual be able to practise the dharma that is to take the soul to the Land of Abiding Blessedness and Bliss? Gradually the individual should train himself for retirement from the life of worldly activity; but this is only the general rule, and may be transgressed with perfect impunity by any one fired with greater ardour and enthusiasm.
Such was the teaching of the Great Pre-historic Teaching Rishabha Deva. Since his time, twenty three other Great Teachers have arisen amongst the Aryans, who have taught the Same Doctrine to humanity. The last of these two Great ones flourished within historical times. Parsva Nath was the twenty
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