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EXPRESSIONS OF THE HIGHEST GOOD IN
JAINISM : A COMPARATIVE STUDY
Jainism is a system of philosoply embracing logicometaphysical reflection and indicating a path to ethicomystical realisation. If the fountain-head of Jaina ethics is logico-metaphysical thinking, mysticism is its culmination. Thus Jainism is not merely ethics, logic and metaphysics but mysticism too. It will not be amiss to point out that ethics is the connecting link between logico-metaphysical speculation and mystical realisation which is the highest good. It paves the way from metaphysics to mysticism. In other words, the journey from intellect to intuition can only be traversed through moral observances resulting in meditation and devotion. Prof. Ranade says “Metaphysics, Morality and Mysticism are as inseparable from each other in the interest of the highest spiritual development of man as intellect, will and emotion are inseparable for his highest psychological development.”'' Again, he says — The mystics of all ages and countries form an eternal divine society.? There are no racial, no communal, no national prejudices among them. Time and space have nothing to do with the eternal and infinite character of their mystical experience. They may weave out their mysticism with the threads of any metaphysical structure, but they always try to go behind the words and realize a unity of significance." The mystic, according to Jainism, gets sublime satisfaction from immediate contact with the transcendental self and along with it with the whole of existence through the
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