Spiritual Discipline and Practices in Jainism

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain
Publisher: Z_Vijyanandsuri_Swargarohan_Shatabdi_Granth_012023.pdf

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spiritual upliftment of the self and society. Its fundamental subject is to search ultimate truth with intuition but simultaneously it can also be a social dynamic and a subject for intellectualistic enterprise involving metaphysical and philosophical presuppositions. It is first subjective and then objective. When religion is considered for the sake of spiritual realization, it becomes a basic instrument for the welfare of mankind, and its society.
Religion can be translated with the word "dharma" and dharma indicates the traditional values and universal truths. Acarya Kundakunda, a Jaina spiritualist is of view that the Caritra (conduct) is Dharma and dharma is equality and equanimity which are the parinamas of soul and which can be attained by destroying deluding karma (Mohaniyakarma). 2
Philosophy is essentially an intellectual pursuit which provides a man with a new sphere to ponder over religious and social problems with certain moral values and spiritual qualities. Religion is for self-valuation and philosophy stipulates the logical speculation. Specially in Indian philosophy, the knowledge is an instrument and spiritual salvation is the supreme goal. Philosophy is the base of religion. Philosophy is pervading and religion is pervaded. Religion stresses practical aspects of life while philosophy gives it the metaphysical and intellectual expression. Therefore both religion and philosophy are profoundly correlafed with each other. They uphold the supremacy and ultimacy of liberation from conditioned existence.
Spiritual disciplines and practices are representative wings of religion and philosophy. Spirituality is immanent in human nature, religion is a moral force and philosophy is an intellectual instrument for achieving the spiritual and religious goals. Under this perspective Jainism originally preaches ideals for attaining spirituality. Its religious aspects enjoin discipline for social upliftment and philosophy justifies them for exemplary
iour. We know the nature and ambit of the subject which is very wide and speculative and therefore only the gist of the traditional values, disciplines and practices is given here. . Spirituality relates to having belief in an independent existence of
soul, its nature of innate purity, and the removal of ignorance through right means. To attain this spiritual goal a certain amount of diciplines and practices is prescribed by all the systems. Therefore there is no
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