Six Essentials for Blissful Living

Author(s): Mihir Gajrawala
Publisher: Mihir Gajrawala

Page 1

SixEssentials ForBlissfulLiving.
28082014
इस मामल
RICHAR सागर राता कल्प
નાનીધામ Sage and innandpasta
૬ આવશ્યક
Sin essentials for blissful living
based on Jaina Knowledge an interpretation by mihir gajrawala
www.mihrgarawala.com
SixEssentialsforBlissfulLiving
BasedonJainaKnowledge AninterpretationbyMihirGajrawala
©MihirGajrawala
Publishedonhttp://www.mihirgajrawala.comon28.8.14
PIET
Note:ManyofthenounsandverbsusedinSanskrit, PrakritandArdhmagdhidonothavesynonymsin English.Jaina knowledgedocumentsexistsintheabovethreelanguages. Historiansand Translators (of Englishlanguage)overc enturieshavecreatedcertainsynonyms, whichaspermy understandingaremisguiding. Foreg. Vratismadesynon ymouswithfastingand Mayawithmagicorallure. Similarly YogaistodayatermwhichmeansIndianexercisesyste
m.Therecouldbeseveralsuchexamples. Totrulyunderstandthiswordsalotofefforthastobeputinunderstandingt
hecontextoftheIndianknowledgebase.Howeverlwouldn'tsaythesameforvernaculartranslationworks.
context.Whereverrequired have madeuseoftheoriginalwords.
a
Inmypiecelhavetriednottoproduceatranslation Insteadtheattemptistosharethecruxofthesubjectinatotallynew
Eachoneofusisaspiringtobecontended. Inotherwordseachonewantsapermanentstateofhappiness. Puttingitsi mplyweallaspiretobeblissful. Thecurrentorderofworld hasprescribedusacertainwayofliving, acertainsetofactiv itiestobedoneatspecifictimesofourlives.Weallhavesubscribedtothis prescriptionofschooling, economicpursuit s,materialachievements, wealthaccumulation etc. Ourcommonsenseisenoughtotellusthatthisprescriptionisn
otworking. Thanwhatcouldbethewaytoblissfulliving?Howdoesoneachieveapermanentstateofbliss? Jainaknowledgehas,manyeonsback, discoveredSIXessential activitiesorritualswhichifexecutedonregularba
nhasalwaysgameredstiffresistanceandithaspeakedinthecurrentera Beforegettingontothemainsubjectletust
akeasmalldigressionhere.
siswithhonestyandbeliefhasthepotentialtoleadeachseekertoablissfulstateofbeing. Howeversuchasuggestio
Thetwomainargumentsinsupportofresistanceare: 1)thefeeling that' rituals'areuselessand2) theimportanceoft
heoryoverpractice, whenitcomestothedomainoftraditionalwisdom.
Thesecanbearguedagainstasfollows:Wefailtounderstandthatwhateverwearedoingtoday, forourlivingisalsoa
ritual.ARitualisnotaboutareligiouspractice,itisaboutacertainsetofprescribedactivitiestobedoneinacertainspe
cificmanner.
Secondly Knowing' perseisnotthepath, but conduct'acquired from knowing'isthepathtobliss! Inotherwordsitisn otknowledge, buttheconductbasedonthatknowledgethatleadstoblissfulexistence!Theessenceofallknowledg