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GUIDELINES
TO MAHAVIR - DARSHAN
PART IV
ETHICS The goal of a society is maintenance of moral values of universal brotherhood, justice and peace. The highest good of the society is the highest good of an individual. Devotion to ethical ideals is the hall-mark of all modern civilisations.
Ancient thinkers, however, considered ethics as part of metaphysical and theological speculations and made moral principles as part of their religion. MAN's conduct in society is the normal field of ethics. However Jain thinkers have linked ethics with metaphysical ideas and ideals. Jain ethics has for its end, the realization of Nirvana or Moksa. To effect this end, the rules of conduct must be observed and corresponding virtues must be acquired.
Jainism has prescribed rules of conduct separately for: (1) the householder and (2) the Muni. A layman who is desirous of attaining great heights in ethical and spiritual progress can do so by regulating his way of life. The word “Pratima" is used to designate the stages of ethical progress in a layman's life. They are like rungs of a ladder. A layman desirous of progress must mount the ladder step by step, until he reaches the top i.e. the highest stage of spirituality as a layman. The next lesson-Lesson No. VIII-will, therefore, deal, with PRATIMAS'. As regards supreme virtues, we are dealing with only five virtues in lessons to follow.
Lesson IX Forgiveness Lesson X Charity Lesson XI Humility Lesson XII Sat-Samagama
Lesson XIII Self-study (Swadhyaya ) (These five lessons have been taken from the English version of “ Sadhak-Sathi", written in Gujarati by Dr. M Soneji, to be published shortly by us. )
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