Santbal A Saint with a Difference

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir

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Justification of Santbal's Stand :
Acharang Sutra is the standard Jain Scripture which prescribes in great details how a Jain Saint should function in life. It nowhere prohibits a Sanit from acting for the amelioration of the Society he lives in. Jain philosophy has always given prominence to "Bhava", i.e. "intention" or "motive" in the performance of a Karma. So long as body persists, some sort of Karma is inevitable, and since the whole universe is full of Jivas (sentient objects) even the acts of breathing, drinking, moving, and eating result in violation of different types of "Jivas". If they result in violation (Himsa) and if every violent act results in a Karma no soul (Jiva) can ever hope to be free. But that is not so, because, binding nature of Karma depends upon the motivation, intention and the measure of attachment with which it is done. This is the accepted and undisputed doctrine which every Jain theologist must accept. If you once accept this position, it follows that if a Jain Saint takes active interest in social amelioration being guided by the disinterested and universal love for all souls of the universe, all his actions are “non-actions”, actions without any expectation or attachment, and binding nature of such non-actions is practically nil. This is the simple logic of Jain philosophy which the critics of Santbal either did not understand or intentionally avoided its understanding. This is also what is preached by Gita.
If the work of social amelioration was foreign to a Jain monk why it was that even after obtaining "Kaivalya" (last stage of pure knowledge) Lord Mahavira, and all other Tirthankars who preceded him, moved from place to place to educate people in spiritual values, why they tried to prevent violence, untruth, stealing, accumulation of possession, sex indulgence and various other social evils ? Why the 1st Tirthankar Shri Rishabhdev tought people how to build moulds, houses and cities, how to establish and organise social institutions including marriages, how
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