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and self-purified, having achieved salvation through an inner process and quility of mind.
The sum and substance of the concept of man in Jainism is that every soul has got infinite capacity for spiritual progress and that it/she/he can by its very nature gain infinite knowledge and can enjoy boundless joy. Truth should not be thrust on any one, but should first be practised and then preached. An individual occupies an important place in Jainism. Thus social progress has been subordinated to individual development.
Man's life is not meant for sensuous enjoyment. Mahavira, therefore, pleaded in favour of transformed, metmorphosed life which is something essentially different from the life materially enriched. Life transformed is a life divine. The philosophy of Jainism is not at all the philosophy of escapism as man
away from trials and troubles He faces them boldly with the exclusive object of evolving himself into perfection, a state of transformation par-excellance. This is the foundation on which the superstructure of Jainism is built for man.
It is by his own exertion that man attains god-hood. The soul (man) can regress or progress Spirtual regress is as much a fact for man as is spiritual progress. According to Jainism a substance is not static because it undergoes change every moment, and is also static as it never loses its existence, it persists through modes. This is how a room has been made for both Being and Becoming. The thinkers in Western philosphy saw self-contradiction in it. They tried to explain Being or Becoming as illusory. It is in Jainism that both Being and Bécoming are reconciled. Thus Jainism is neither scepticism nor agnosticism nor materialism. It is neither indecisive like the sceptics nor dogmatic like the extremists. It strikes a golden mean. It bears a deep impress on man in today's world.
Jainism is the religion of self-dependence. The liberated soul acts as the light house to direct the individuals to cross the world-sea over. Reverence for all living beings (ahimsa) and respect for all view-points (syadvada) are the most important contributions of Jainas to world philosophy. In this respect Jain creed is unique in the world. Man is at liberty to choose his way of life If his choice falls to the service of mammon. his future is doomed. No body will be able to save him from downfall. If he chooses the life of self-control, self-reliance and universal brotherhood, he will surely elevate himself to spiritual heights.
Digamber Jain Math Sravanabelagola-573135
(Karnataka)
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