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Of all the Indian Darshanas, Jainism is the only one which has the principle of
Ahimsa as its central doctrine. The other Darshanas also speak of Ahimsa
whenever convenient but they never offer such loyalty whenever convenient but
they never offer such loyalty tot he principle of Ahimsa as is found in Jainism.
What is the message of Ahimsa to the modern world?
Before answering this question, we have to remember the important aspects of
modern thought. The most dominant factor of modern thought is Science. It is
clear nowadays that no idea which does not satisfy the bar of scientific reason
has any chance of being accepted by modern thought is Science. It is clear
nowadays that no idea which does not satisfy the bar of scientific reason has
any chance of being accepted by modern thinkers. Religious ideas mainly based
upon irrational traditions and superstitions will all be brushed aside as of no
great importance. In this respect Jainism is on a safer ground. Jaina thinkers
from the very beginning emphasize the importance of reason in all matters
connected with religion. In fact, they prescribe as the first and most important
condition of religious development, complete freedom from popular superstition.
Samyak Darshana or Right Faith according to Jaina thinkers requires freedom from
three types of superstitious beliefs or three moodahs. These are described as
Loka Moodah, Deva Moodah and Pasandi Moodah,-popular superstition, superstition
about popular deities, and faith in false ascetics. These three types of
superstitious beliefs must be first got rid of by a person before he starts on
his spiritual path. Unless he discards various superstitious beliefs he cannot
begin his spiritual development freely unhampered. Belief that bathing in a
particular river will wash off one’s virtue, or climbing up a particular hill
will produce spiritual development are all avoidable impediments on the way of
true belief in the nature of Reality. Whenever there is an epidemic in the
society, people try to appease the deities by offering animal sacrifice. Such an
attempt to propitiate certain deities is based upon the false belief that these
deities are the real cause of the epidemic disease, such as cholera, or
smallpox. Such practices are not only useless and ineffective but prevent men
from discovering the true cause of such disease and preparing suitable and
effective remedies.
Hence this second type of false belief is extremely ruinous to society, if not completely eradicated. The third type of false belief upon
superstitious faith in all sorts of Samnyasins. Very often undesirable crooks
put on kashaya, the robe of a samnyasi, and trade upon the simplicity of
unthinking people. These false ascetics very often mislead the people as to true
from of religion. They cheat the people to secure their own benefits. Getting
rid of all kinds of superstitious belief, a person gets firmly established on
the foundation of Samyak Darshana, Right Faith. Getting firmly established in
Right Faith of Samyak Darshana is the first step firmly established in Right
Faith or Samyak Darshana is the first step in spiritual development. But that
alone is not enough. Right Faith no doubt places a person on the correct path.
But that alone cannot lead to complete spiritual development. This right faith
must lead to Right knowledge or Samyak Jnana. Equipped with correct faith one
must try to secure correct knowledge of things in reality. Unless one acquires
an accurate knowledge of things and persons, unless one understands the true
nature of oneself one cannot achieve anything.
Therefore, an accurate knowledge of the nature of Reality is a necessary
condition to spiritual development. These two alone, right faith and right
knowledge, would not be sufficient. Acquisition of correct knowledge must lead
to correct action. What is the use of correct knowledge if it is not going go
guide you in action? Hence correct action in the light of correct knowledge is
necessary condition for complete spiritual development. Hence Jainism maintains
that all these aspects must be present in a person if he is to reach his
spiritual goal. This truth is expressed by the Jaina thinkers in the following
statement:
"Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct together constitute the path of
Salvation."
In this respect Jainism differs from other Darshanas, some of which emphasize
only faith, some emphasize knowledge and some emphasize conduct. Faith or Bhakti
alone is considered enough to lead to salvation. Knowledge alone is supposed to
be sufficient to achieve salvation. Conduct or activity alone is considered to
be enough to secure salvation. Such one-sided religious beliefs are dismissed by
the Jaina thinkers. They maintain that all the three must be present together to
achieve the purpose. Very often the following analogy is quoted.Salvation implies escape from Samsara which is associated with birth, old age
and death. Every person aims to reach a place which is free from birth an death.
Such a desire is similar to the desire of a sick man to cure himself and attain
normal health. Such a desire to be effective, the sick man just have implicit
faith in his doctor, whom he consults. Next he must have a clear knowledge of
the medicine prescribed by the doctor and thirdly he must take the medicine
according to the instructions given by the doctor. Faith in the doctor,
knowledge of the medicine, and taking the medicine as prescribed, all these
three are necessary to eradicate the sickness and to secure normal health.
Similar is the acquisition of spiritual health, which would be secured only by
the co-operation of the three items of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right
Conduct.
What is the conception of God in Jaina Religion? What is the nature of God
worshipped by the Jainas?
Jaina Darshana, just as Sankhya Darshana and Mimamsa Darshana, does not believe
in the doctrine of creation or a Creator, or an Ishvara, and yet believes in a
divine Being for whom the Jainas build temples and conduct religious worships.
What is the temples and conduct religious worships. What is the nature of their
God whom they worship? He is worshipped because he is the Revealer of the path
to salvation. One who reveals the path to salvation and leads man along that
path towards the ultimate goal must certainly be adored.
What is the qualification of such a Leader and Revealer of the path to
salvation?
He must first of all be pure and free from all spiritual defects. How does he acquire such freedom from spiritual defects? Such freedom he acquires by
completely eradicating and destroying all such root causes by adopting a
strenuous path of spiritual discipline or yoga. He is able to destroy all
infirmities associated with pure spiritual self. After destruction of all karmas
by yogic dhyana and severe tapas he acquires, Omniscience. He becomes the Lord
and the Revealer of Dharma. Being a sarvajna, an all-knowing Supreme Being, he
qualifies himself to be the leader of Humanity. Directing man towards the goal
of perfection, attaining omniscience and spiritual perfection for himself, he
does not go self-satisfied. Since he is equipped with the supreme principle of
Ahimsa, Universal Love, and unstinted reverence to life in general, the Lord,
the Revealer of Truth, goes about the world preaching to people the spiritual
truth that he achieved for himself. Such a divine person is interested in the
welfare of all men irrespective of caste or race. Every person is entitled to
learn truth. Therefore, the Jaina leaders of thought permitted all people
irrespective of social distinctions to approach them for the acquisition of
perfectly pure in himself, endowed with infinite knowledge an unbounded sympathy
and love for all living beings is worshipped as the saviour of mankind. His
spiritual purity is so sublime and grand that in his presence there is no evil
or hatred. A tiger and a lamb move about in his presence without fear or
ferocity. Such a divine person is worshipped by the Jainas as heir God. He who
is the leader on the path of the salvation, he who is completely free from all
karmas, and he who is all-knowing, such a person is worshipped by all.
The rules of conduct prescribed for the Jinas are all based upon the fundamental
principles of Ahimsa or Universal Love. These are five in number.
Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha.
Universal Love, Truth, Non-stealing, Sexual Purity and Renunciation of all possessions. These five principles are prescribed
for both the Ascetics as well as Laymen, the householders. In the case of the
ascetics, these five are called, Mahavratas, the five great vows which are to be
observed absolutely without any limitation. In the case of the laymen or the
householders, these are prescribed with qualifications and limitations. The
first and the most important is Ahimsa or Universal Love. This positive
principle implies expression of reverence for life without any limitation. All
living beings deserve live and sympathy from man. Some people confine these to
human beings alone. But in Jainism there is no such limitation. No life should
be injured and a living being in suffering must obtain relief and safety from
man.
The present day practice among the Jainas is marked by a sincere endeavour to avoid harm to all living beings including insects. But the importance of man
as such is almost forgotten by the modern Jainas. They have not realized the
exact significance of Dharma Prabhavana, propounding the dharma in which the
Tirthankara engaged themselves after obtaining Kevala jnana or Omniscience. In
preaching Dharma they did not confine themselves to a selected few. There were
no chosen people for the Tirthankaras. All person whether they were Suras or
Asuras had equal opportunities of knowing the truth. Not privilege of knowing
Ahimsa Dharma. It is clear that their object was to create a casteless society
and also a classless society. The object of the founders of Jaina Dharma was to
avoid as far as possible the economic distinction between the rich and the poor
and the social distinction between the high and the low. These ideals have to be
achieved by following the fifth vow prescribed for mankind, the vow of
Aparigraha. The Jaina Ascetic according to this principle will not own any
property as his own. Himself without any possession as his own, the ascetic
depends upon the layman or the householder for his sustenance. Sustained by the
society, the ascetic devotes his time and energy for promoting the cultural and
spiritual development of society as a whole. The layman or the householder is
the main stay of social organization. He maintains the economic stability of
society. It is incumbent on him to see that wealth does not accumulate in a few
hands. He must prevent poverty and misery in concentrated from. In order to
secure such an economic harmony, he is expected to follow the main economic
principle based upon the moral idea of setting apart a small portion of his
wealth for himself and devoting the rest of his possessions for the benefit of
the society as large. Such a principle when strictly followed as a moral ideal
will successfully avoid accumulation of wealth on the one hand and concentration
of poverty on the other, and will promote a healthy social organization based
upon the principle of welfare of all human beings and the whole society. such an
ideal when sufficiently promoted and practiced by all individuals will naturally
lead to a social development, and there will be no possibility of a clash
between Capitalism and Communism. In such a society there will be no clash
between groups of people. Such a Society will be no clash between groups of
people. Such a Society will create a condition of universal Peace and general
happiness, but by right knowledge it can be made a necklace of opportunities. By
repentance, by chasing away from the mind ill-begotten pleasures, by teaching
others, one learns to follow the commandments and to walk the Inner Way.
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