Jainism And Its History

SR No.: 032590
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology
Publication Year: 2018
Total Pages: 328
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 34 MB

Page 206

vision of pure self. In Jainism right faith has been discussed from two points of view the real and the practical. The practical right faith is a true and firm devotion to the Deva, the Guru, the Dharma and the Sastra, while the real right faith is a firm belief in the true and pure nature of the soul.
Though the concepts of faith and devotion are present in Jainism, but Jainism does not believe that the divine grace is essential for the attainment of liberation. According to Jainism the soul itself is the architect of its own destiny. The Jaina religion is the religion of selfhelp, which is unique in the history of world-religions. However, the Jainas believe that true devotion to the Tirthankara s yields fruitful results for an aspirant. Though the Tirthankaras are the object of our worship, yet they do not help directly to an aspirant, except that an aspirant can realise his own real nature through contemplation on their nature, because inherently he possesses the same nature as they have. A Gujarati Jaina poet has expressed this idea in the following
verse:
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Ajakulagat keseri, lahere nijapadasimha nihala;
Tim prabhu bhakti bhavi lahere, nijatama sambhala.
Just as a cub brought out in herd of sheep realises his real nature as a lion after seeing a lion, so also an aspirant realises his own real nature as Arhat by worshipping the Arhat.
Five Constituents: In Jainism the following have been stated as the five constituents of right faith
Sama: equanimity or balanced state of mind
Samvega: the realisation of blissful nature of self or yearning for truth,
Nirveda: unattachment or indifference,
Anukampa to realise others sufferings as one's own and to be sympathetic to them and
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