Self Awareness Through Meditation

Author(s): Ranjitsingh Kumat
Publisher: Ranjitsingh Kumat

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MAIN PRACTICES OF JAIN RELIGION
Jain system of Religion, initiated by Lord Rishabhadev in prehistoric times, reinvented and reiterated by Lord Mahavir in 600 B.C. believes that emancipation from the chain of birth and death is the ultimate goal of human life. This objective can be achieved through “Samyaka Darshan' (Right vision), “Samyaka Gnana (Right Understanding) and ‘Samyaka Charitra (Right Conduct). All the three things are essential. Righ ‘Darshan' or vision and Right understanding or 'gnana' are essential to know the right path. But to visualize and to know is not enough; one has to tread the path too. And to conduct oneself according to Right vision and Right understanding is called Right conduct. Thus coordination among the three attributes is essential. To be able to visualize and understand the truth that craving for the ephemeral worldly things is suffering is called Right Vision or Right paradigm or ‘Samyaka Darshan' and Right Understanding or ‘Samyak Gnana'. “Samyak Gnana' and ‘Samyaka Darshan' go together; you cannot have one without the other. And to follow according to one's own right vision and understanding is right conduct and thus one attains total integrity in vision, understanding and conduct.
Jain system believes that a being comes in this world with accumulation of ‘karmas' or past deeds and continues to attract new 'karmas' to the stock according to his new deeds and feelings. To be able to get emancipation from the cycle of birth and death, one must exhaust the stock of 'karmas’ and for that new in-flow of karmas has to be stopped first, which is called 'Sanvar' (Restraint), and then exhaust the old stock, which is called 'Nirjara or exhaustion.