Universal Message of Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Dulichand Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 40

30 Universal Message of Lord Mahāvīra
architect of his own destiny and he can rise only by his own efforts and not by the grace of any external agency. God is devoid of attachment; hence, there is no need for Him to create this universe, which is beginningless and endless.
Every inexplicable event in the life of an individual occurs due to the karmas accumulated in his previous birth. Karma is conceived as something essentially material, which gets interlinked with soul, which is conscious. As particles of dust get attached to the body smeared with oil, so does karma with the soul. Lord Mahāvīra says, "Attachment and aversion are the root causes of karma and karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death and these (birth and death) are said to be the source of misery." He further adds, "None can escape the effect of their own past karmas.
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Religion in day-to-day Activities
A householder should lead his life in such a way that he continues religious practices faithfully everyday. There are six essentials, which a Śrāvakas (householder) is expected to practice everyday in his life. These are enumerated below:
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1. Sāmāyika: It is defined as, "Sāmāyika is to be devoid of attachment and aversion and to be indifferent to life and death, gain and loss, fortune and misfortune, friend and foe, joy and sorrow. A householder should do at least one Sāmāyika a day for 48 minutes. In this period, he should remain aloof from his domestic.and business activities. He should devote his time in self-contemplation, meditation and scriptural study.