________________
The Self Realization
are difficult to obtain. Every one who is given a hearing by them, blows his own trumpet and never inquires whether what he says is true, half-true or untrue. Besides, even these few souls starving for self-liberation are compelled to waste their precious time in many worldly activities that they find it difficult to maintain continuity of their spiritual progress. Srimad says that he admits that there are a few souls following the eternal religion propagated by Mahavira but the rest of the Jaina religious public present a sorry debacle. "What pains me', he says, 'is not that the Jinas lose anything but that only a few are ready to take the advantage of the magnanimous achievements of the great realized souls to the credit of the Jaina philosophy and religion. Any well thinking mind will appreciate the truth of what I say.'
"The two fundamental divisions of Jainism are on the importance of the idols of the great Tirthankaras in the practice of Jaina religion. One side believes that these idols of the Jinas and their worship are authorised by the Jaina religious scriptures and they are direct means for Self-realization. The other side believes that the idols need not be worshipped at all. Srimad holds to the first view and he declares that the worship of the idols of the Jinas is necessary, desirable, and always helpful in the path of spiritual progress. By a wrong use of reasoning all the tenets of Jainism may be shown contradictory but that is not the way of a man of spiritual experience. None will benefit by the way of logical wranglings. Truth which is tested by the touchstone of religious experience is the religious truth and no amount of denying it, can serve any useful purpose. "I did once believe that idol worship is unmeaning, but now I am convinced of the need and authenticity of it by my own spiritual experience and so
31
Jain Education International
For Private Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
