Uniqueness of jain Spirituality

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: Z_Sumanmuni_Padmamaharshi_Granth_012027.pdf

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Glory of Jain Culture
scientists refute to accord consciousness as different from matter. They have found that without independent existence of consciousness, we cannot think of the embodied self. They do not regard consciousness merely as an epiphenomenon of matter, but regards as the medium of origination of consciousness.
Many problems of the present life such as the state of pleasure and pain from the period of incubation to the time of birth of a child can neither be attributed either to the child or to his or her parents. The child in mother's womb has no role to play towards his pleasures or pain. The parents cannot be attributed because how can an innocent child be made responsible for actions of his parents. On the other hand if we assume that the child enjoys or suffers without any cause or reason, is to accept irrationality. All these and many other such questions cannot be explained without the hypothesis of rebirth. And rebirth can only be explained when we admit the hypothesis of a permanent substance such as soul. Even the so-called agnostic Lord Buddha and modern German atheist thinker Neitzche admit of rebirth.
individual happiness and suffering is not an isolated affair, because it is somehow related to the entire universe. The past Karma puts a world before the individual which brings appropriate pleasure and pain to him. In short, Karma determines both his heredity and environment. Secondly, even Time, Nature, Matter etc. are not outside the scope of karma and they are merely the different expressions of working of the universal law of karma. Thirdly, karma is the principle of determination of the world. The variation in matter and time can only be ascribed to karma if we are to avoid the erroneous philosophical theories of Temporalism, Naturalism, Determinism, Accidentalism, Materialism, Scepticism and Aguesticism etc.
In an important sense, science of karma has been described as the science of spirituality. Spirituality aims at unfolding the real nature of spirit or self. This is selfknowledge or self-realization. But to know the self if also to know that it is different from the non-self, with which it is in beginningless conjunction. Karma is the material basis of bondage and nescience of the soul. The beginningless relation between soul and non-soul is due to nescience (mithyatva) which is responsible for the worldly existence. This is determined by the nature, duration, intensity, and quantity of karmas. The self take matter in accordance with their non karmas because of selfpossession (Kasaya). It is therefore clear that the science of karma is a necessary part of the science of spirituality. Unless we have
Jainism, therefore regards Karma as the matrix of the universe and the ground man of individual's destiny and the mould in which anything and everything takes shape. Karma is generally regarded as the principle of determination of individual's destiny, his well-being and suffering. There are three reasons : first, the problem of
The Uniqueness of Jain Spirituality
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