What is Jainism

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

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ESSAYS AND ADDRESSES
substance which survives physical death, passing into fresh surroundings and environments there and then. Whether these conditions are agreeable or undesirable rests entirely with our own selves. If we try to improve ourselves, by curbing our desires and animal proclivities and propensities, we shall obtain pleasant, agreeable conditions and surroundings, and ultimately also nirvana, that is Godhood ; but otherwise there can be nothing but brambles and thorns for our lot in the future rebirths. Indifference to Religion would be justified if there were to be no future life for the ego; but that foolish supposition is no longer possible for us now. It is certain that the soul is immortal and will find itself in fresh environments when this life shall have come to an end. Shall we not, therefore, now take the shaping of our destiny in our own hands, instead of allowing it to be marred and ruined by our indifference and wrong living ? The secret of success lies in Renunciation, i.e., the eradication of desire. Shall we not now justify our claim to be considered rational beings by giving up, from this moment, the worst form of desire—the tearing off and eating the flesh of our innocent fellow-beings ? At least, shall we not make a beginning now by giving up shikar (sport) which is sure to lead the soul to the very worst conditions of life in hell? If we understood the language of the mute appeal of the innocent victim of our sporting lust, we should find it to consist of but three wordsahimsi paramo dharmah (non.injury is the highest religion). He appeals to us, not only so that we may spare his life, which we hold so lightly, through ignorance, but also that we may have pity on your own individual soul, that is in imminent danger of descending into hell when the oil of life here runs short. And it is to be hoped that this highly humane appeal from dumb animal lips does not fall on entirely deaf ears.
ŚRI JAINA DHARMA KI JAI,