________________
25
reawakening Jainism after a period of decay. Many such Arhats are related to have appeared on earth before, many are said to be living even now in distant regions, and many, to be expected in future too. The Jina or Arhat is man on the summit of perfection, man at the threshold of Moksa, ready to enter Siddhasilā, the place of eternal bliss, from where there is no return into this world of imperfection.
His Karmas, with the exception of some neutral ones, are fallen off from him, and the innate qualities of his soul are expanded in fullest beauty and majesty. He is omniscient, allperceiving, filled with infinite joy and infinite strength. He is free from all passion and attachment, free from desire-for desire is nothing but an expression of imperfection-, and yet he is man, and has to keep his human body as long as the neutral rest of his Karmas force him to keep it. He is man, and, as one part of Jaina tradition, that of the Svetāmbara branch, so beautifully suggests, has to satisfy the requirements of his human body : he begs his food, and he eats and drinks, within the limits prescribed for a monk, since the rest of Karmas require him to do so. And the rest of his Karmas also require him to live exclusively for the benefit of the world, i.e., of those souls that are still in the bonds of dangerous karmas. For as long as he lives in his human shape, he goes about, showing to the whole of creation, the right path, by preaching and teaching, and by the example of his own model life. And it is obvious that the activity and life of the Perfect One must indeed turn out to be a blessing, for he cannot but attract crowds of followers and imitators.
This is what the Jaina worship as his highest religious ideal, his "god" if one chooses to say so. He adorns his statue with pearls and diamonds, with roses and jasmine, and costly champak flowers, he fans it, as one fans a great king, with white chowries, he burns sweet frankincense before it, and builds
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
