The Teachings of Lord Mahavira - Dulichand Jain

Problems Encountering Modern World: The present age is called the age of Science and Technology. There is a virtual explosion of Information Technology which has brought nations and people closer to one another. New scientific thoughts have influenced our life and have provided us more and more amenities and facilities. But the question arises whether science has made our life happier and harmonious? The answer to this question is in the negative. Today, our life is full of tension, anxieties and disorders. In the race for progress and growth, we have forgotten the real purpose of life. Today we know much more about the external world but very little about us. We are leading a life of disharmony and conflicts.

The question, therefore, is whether religion propagated by Mahavira 2600 years ago can meet the needs of our times and solve the problems of present day humanity. Mahavira stated clearly that religion does not mean mere rituals and dogmas. It has eternal values which have validity for all times to come. Jainism is a living religion propounded by Lord Mahavira, being practiced by lakhs of people even today.

The Essence of Religion: First of all let us understand what is the meaning of religion. Lord Mahavira says, ‘The real nature of every soul is equanimity.’ In Jainism, religion is not different from the practice for the realization of our own essential nature or sva-svabhava. In this state the consciousness is completely free from constant flickering, excitements, disharmony and disorders. In reality, the soul is different from the body and it remains away from vibhavas or impure states of mind. The object of religion is to achieve equanimity of mind and therefore of the soul, and get real peace and bliss.

Integral View of Life: Jainism takes an integral view of life. Either faith or knowledge by itself cannot take us on the path to salvation. We should have a combination of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct to tread the path to salvation. Lord Mahavira says, ‘Without right faith, there is no right knowledge and without right knowledge there is no virtuous conduct.’ Detachment from the objects of worldly pleasures, a balanced state of mind and the feeling of equanimity are considered as right faith or attitude. A person having right faith knows what is to be relinquished and what is to be accomplished. Through right knowledge a person understands the true nature of the soul and the non-living substances. It is said by Lord Mahavira, ‘He who knows the self to be wholly different from the impure body and comprehends it to be the knower of all substances, is said to be a master of all scriptures.’ According to Mulachara, right knowledge is that which helps one to understand the truth, controls the mind and purifies the soul. According to Jain thinkers, equanimity of body, mind and soul should be a directive principle of religious life. The equanimity of mind is non-attachment (Aparigraha), equanimity of body is non-violence (Ahimsa) and the equanimity of thought is non-absolutism (Anekanta). These three are the pillars of Jainism and the observance of these results in peace and harmony in the life of the individual and the society.

Reverence for All Life: The cardinal principle of Jainism is non-violence. It means giving respect to all forms of life. All life formations including human beings, animals, plants, trees, insects etc. have the same life source of energy. This energy is available even in invisible creatures in air, water, earth and ether. Lord Mahavira says, ‘Not to kill any living being is the quintessence of all wisdom. Certainly, one has to understand that non-violence and equality of all living beings are essentials of Dharma.’ Non-violence is the pivot on which its whole ethics revolves. It is not a single virtue but it is a combination of all virtues. Lord Mahavira says that non-violence is equated with sixty virtuous qualities like peace, harmony, welfare, trust, fearlessness etc. Jainism believes in the principle ‘Live and let live.’

Today when we see cruelties on animals on a large scale in mechanical slaughter-houses and the use of animals for leather products, in food industries, in producing medicines, cosmetics, and so on, we can understand how important it is to adhere to non-violence so as to save the life on this planet. The extensive development of meat industries has brought environmental damage on a large scale and environmentalists are worried about how to stop it to make life of people healthy and happy.

Equality: Mahavira laid great stress on the equality of all. Action and not birth is the determining factor of superiority in the teachings of Mahavira. He proclaimed, ‘A person does not become a monk by merely tonsuring nor a Brahmana by reciting Omkara Mantra, nor a Muni by living in the forest, nor a hermit by wearing clothes woven out of Kusha grass. One becomes a monk by equanimity, a Brahmana by celibacy, a Muni by his knowledge and a hermit by his austerities.’

Lord Mahavira had great regard for women. He said that both men and women were eligible to attain emancipation after destroying the passions and Karmas. He declared, ‘There are many virtuous women who are famous for their purity and chastity. They are like the goddesses before whom even the celestials bow.’ According to Jainism, all barriers of caste, creed and color are artificial and must be removed. The principle of equality propounds that every one has a right to live. The directive principle of living is not ‘living on others’ or ‘living by killing’ but ‘living with and for others.’

So far as the welfare of human society is concerned, it depends on mutual co-operation, sacrifice of our own interest for the sake of our fellow beings and regard for the life of others. If these are essential for our social life then non-violence is absolutely necessary for human life. Society exists not on violence but on non-violence, not on fulfillment of self-interest but on sacrifice of self-interest, not on claiming our own rights but accepting the rights of others too. Thus we can say that non-violence is an inevitable principle of existence of human society.

Aparigraha: Limiting the desires and passions: Aparigraha is the fifth vow of monks and nuns in the Jain code of ethics (Mahavrata). For householders also it is the fifth vow in their code of ethics known as Anuvrata (smaller vows). This principle has great importance in the present world in which we are increasing our requirements and desires to the maximum. Jain preachers say that the source of happiness and peace lies within the human self and not in the external things. The cause for mental worries and tensions is our attachment towards worldly objects. Lord Mahavira says that desires are endless like the sky and they will never satisfy any person fully. In his words, ‘If there were numberless mountains of gold and silver as big as mount Kailasa, they would not satisfy an avaricious man; for avarice is boundless like the sky.’ He further says, ‘The more you get, the more you want; desires increase with every gain.’ If mankind is to be freed from mental tensions, the possessions have to be limited. Today we find over-exploitation of natural resources which are available in limited quantity only. Jainism believes that the lesser the attachment, the greater will be the mental peace. It is only when attachment vanishes, that the human mind will be free from mental and emotional disorders. For this Jainism preaches the vow of complete non-possession for ascetics and the vow to limit one’s possessions for householders.

Anekant: Regard for other’s Ideologies and Faiths: Today due to the progress of science and technology, the world has practically become a single family. Hence, we should be open and broad-minded. We cannot solve today’s problems with a parochial and sectarian approach. According to Dr. Ramji Singh, ‘Inter-existence is the positive option for mankind. Either there is organic growth of mankind or there is organic destruction of human civilization. The growth of scientific knowledge and outlook has destroyed most of our false dogmas and superstitions but it has failed to provide us knowledge that could sublimate our animal and selfish nature. Animality has been dominating our individual as well as social behavior. Hence, our life has become full of tensions, turmoils and disorders. Therefore, although we are outwardly pleading for world-peace and non-violence, yet we have been preparing for war. Humanity is tottering today upon the brink of the principle of self-annihilation due to lack of proper understanding of the views of others.’

The Doctrine of Karma: The significant achievement of Tirthankar Mahavira in the spiritual field was the upholding of the concept of Karma in place of the creator God. He said that man is the architect of his own destiny and he can rise only by his own efforts and not by the grace of any external agency. God is devoid of attachment, hence there is no need for him to create this universe, which is beginningless and endless. Every event in the life of an individual occurs due to Karmas accumulated in his previous births. Karma is conceived as something essentially material which gets interlinked with the non-material soul. As particles of dust get attached to the body smeared with oil, so does Karma to the soul. It is on account of Karma that the soul has to suffer and undergo various births and rebirths in the diverse spheres of life as gods, men or animals. Lord Mahavira says, ‘Attachment and aversion are the root causes of Karma and Karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death and these (birth and death) are said to be the source of misery.’ He further adds, ‘None can escape the effect of his/her own past Karmas.’

Relevance of Jain Ethics: Dr. Radhakrishnan has rightly observed that the name Jainism indicates the predominantly ethical character of the system. Although Jainism is much more than a code of ethics it is true to say that ethics occupies here the most important place. Some thinkers say that metaphysics has divided Indian philosophers but ethics has united them. Sometimes it is said that Jain ethics is extremely ascetic in character, but this is actually not true. The fact is that there is clear cut distinction between the codes of the monks and of the householders and there is a marked relaxation of virtues and vows meant for commoners. The present generation lacks proper moral guidance. Hence the five vows of truth, non-violence, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession are really of great significance today. That is why, Mahatma Gandhi practiced the ideals of truth and non-violence in social and national life. Thus these ethical values have great relevance in politics, economics and in international affairs. A nation can be peaceful and prosperous if it follows non-violence seriously and sincerely. The principle of non-violence can contribute a great deal to foster peaceful co-existence among different warring nations. Similarly non-possession and other virtues practiced by the Jain community are significant and relevant in the present era. The ideal of non-possession or non-hoarding can be really useful today as we try to grapple with the problem of economic inequality.

© ‘The Vedanta Kesari’ (June 2002) published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Website: sriramakrishnamath.org. Reprinted with permission.

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