What is the purpose of Dharma or religion?

situation is not to their liking. Moreover, desires and likes or dislikes of all beings are not identical. What one loves may be of utter distaste to another. It is therefore impossible that everything can happen to everyone’s taste. Viewed in this light, it would seem that there could not possibly be a way of making everyone happy. Fortunately, however, there is a way. Shraman, which is Jain and Buddist traditions, and Vedic, which is Hindu tradition, belong to the Indo-Aryan culture, and have borrowed from and influenced ideologies of one another. They both have addressed the subject of universal happiness and have discovered that the way to this is to wish and act for happiness and well-being for all. If everyone acts accordingly, the world can turn into paradise and there would not be any misery; at least the manufactured miseries would end. Indian philosophies go beyond seeking happiness in this life. Almost all of them believe in the existence of an eternal soul and in a continually changing pattern of everything else. Therefore, they seek happiness that lasts beyond the present life. Their ultimate goal is to present the path of liberation leading to the termination of the cycle of life and death. However, as long as we are not liberated, their approach is to seek continuing universal happiness. These traditions therefore urge everyone to look earnestly for the well-being of all others, to stay meritorious in this life to be sure of reaping fruits of their merits in subsequent lives. When one talks of religion, the question may arise, ‘Why do we bother about religion? Could we not be happy in this life without worrying about religion?’ One may be healthy, have a loving spouse and children that they love, have plenty of money, and possess all the amenities that one needs. What more is religion going to offer? These are legitimate questions. The concept underlying these questions revolves around our body. Its health, its relations, its well-being, and comforts and luxuries it can indulge in are supposed to bring forth happiness. Accordingly, when such situations are to our liking, we consider ourselves happy. Unfortunately, the body with which we identify ourselves and everything around us, is transitory. All the situations are ephemeral. The happiness that we might be experiencing from such situations can disappear at any time. We do not know what is going to happen next moment. In fact, our so-called happiness is unstable and short-lived. Even if situations conducive to our interest were likely to continue indefinitely, peace and happiness may not always materialize. As the poet Percy Shelley put it in one of his poems, we are prone to ‘look before and after and pine for what is naught.’ Hardly anyone feels satisfied with what he has. We have the tendency to desire what we do not have. Our desires are endless and as long as those desires remain unsatisfied, no one can ever feel happy and experience real peace that can lead to blissful pleasure. We may strive hard to achieve that pleasure but hardly anyone attains it any time during his life. A.2.2. What is Religion? The growth of scientific knowledge and technology has given new dimensions to our lives and has influenced every aspect of how we live. Science has done a great service to humanity by providing amenities for pleasant living and has saved men from many miseries and uncertainties of the primitive past. It has also destroyed many superstitions and religious dogmas. At the same time, the scientific outlook has uprooted the moral, religious, and cultural values of our society. In the light of the advance of scientific perspective some individuals have renounced our traditional religious beliefs and values. We know much -8- SECTION A: INTRODUCTION | A.2: Dharma: Religion about the atom but not much about the values needed for a meaningful and peaceful life. We are living in a state of disarray. Our lives are full of worries, emotional disorders, and conflict of values. Today man needs mental peace and complete integration with his own personality and with his social environment. Can religion, in general, and Jainism in particular, meet this need of our times? Yes, it can. Religion has eternal concepts and values that can meet the needs of time. Now, what do we mean by the term religion? Many western scholars define religion as faith. Some say that religion is belief in spiritual beings. Others define religion as faith in the conservation of values. The inner core of religion is faith, but it is the faith in our own existence and our own real nature, belief in some eternal and spiritual values that are essential for the existence and upliftment of mankind. A generally accepted definition of religion is ‘Dhärayati Iti Dharma’. It means that what holds (our soul from falling) is religion. Our remaining in a deluded state constitutes a fall and religion tends to protect us. It teaches us that the physical body, with which we identify ourselves, is

our inner enemies such as anger, ego, deceit, and greed. By following the right path, we will progress to a higher spiritual state, Kevali or Arihanta, and ultimately become Siddha after nirvana (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). The goal of every living being is to become a pure soul which is free from birth, death, misery, attachment and aversion which is called Siddha 30 JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE -2 Page #31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ Chapter 03 - Religion (Dharma) and Its Significance Concept of Religion "Inherent nature of a substance is the Dharma or religion of that substance". For all living beings, the purity of soul is the essence of life. A soul's inherent qualities include infinite perception, infinite knowledge, infinite bliss and infinite energy. Any activity, which helps an individual to realize and then achieve these inherent qualities, is religion or Dharma. Therefore, to see, to know, and to realize the true nature of the soul is the religion. Anything, which drifts away an individual from realizing and achieving the true nature is not a religion (Adharma). The etymological meaning of the word Dharma, the Sanskrit word for religion, explains this thought very well. Dharma is "that which holds from falling". In other words, religion is what holds living beings from falling into a miserable state (from a spiritual standpoint), and that which lifts life higher in spirituality. Human beings have always been seeking answers to such questions as: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where will I go after death? Who is God? Who made this universe? What is my relationship with the universe? What is my real nature? The Jain literature indicates that there are three ways to find answers to these questions: a) experience b) use of logic and c) Agams (Canonical Books - collection of sermons). In general the religion may be categorized in four parts: a) theology, b) metaphysics, c) ethics and d) rites & rituals. Theology explains who I am. What is our true nature? Who is God? Metaphysics explains who I am not. What is the universe? What is non-living? What is the relationship between living and non-living? Ethics explains how we live our life. What should be our daily conduct? What and how should we practice? How can we purify our conscious mind? How can I remove impurities from myself? Rites and rituals involve praying, adoring, paying our respects to and worshipping the Tirthankars. The real purpose of the rites and rituals is to be inspired to become liberated and free from attachments and aversions. The purpose of prayer is for this inspiration and not for asking for material things. According to Bhagawan Mahävir, religion from a realistic point of view consists of four parts: Equality of all living beings Every living soul has right to put forth self-effort to improve itself and not to be stripped of that right Not to rule over other living beings including humans, animals or all other forms of life All views should be viewed with equanimity - without like or dislike. Everyone has some concept about the best qualities that a human being should have. Each human being strives to exemplify these qualities. For this purpose, an individual puts forth effort. Their effort to achieve these qualities is religion. The best qualities are perfect perception, perfect knowledge, perfect character and conduct, and unlimited energy (Anant Darshan, Jnän, Charitra and Virya). We are imperfect and we want to be perfect. If we want to have the best qualities, we have to believe that they are achievable. The process to achieve these best qualities is religion. Thus, religion is meant for purification of our consciousness and realization of our own nature. How is it possible to practice the religion? According to Bhagawan Mahävir: "Whatever you wish for yourself, wish the same for others". If we practice this simple message our lives will be very full filled. The correct beliefs, knowledge, and conduct are the main modes for practicing religion. Rites and rituals have their place, but only if the main modes are the focus of our life. Beliefs and knowledge are like paint Page #32 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ and a brush, while conduct is like a canvas. With the paint and the brush, but without a canvas, we cannot be artists. Thus without proper conduct, we cannot realize the true nature of our soul. It is important to have right faith (beliefs) and right knowledge. Without proper knowledge, we will not know what is right and what is wrong and we will be unable to practice the right religion. Nevertheless, knowledge itself is not an end. It is the means by which we practice the true religion leading us to good conduct. In our life, we should look at happiness and unhappiness with equanimity. We should believe that there might be some truth however trivial in any statement. Even

as we are not liberated, their approach is to seek continuing universal happiness. The above two verses therefore urge everyone to look earnestly for the well-being of all others, to stay meritorious in this life to be sure of reaping fruits of their merits in subsequent lives. When one talks of religion, the question may arise, 'Why do we bother about religion? Could we not be happy in this life without worrying about religion?' One may be healthy, have a loving spouse and children that they love, have plenty of money, and possess all the amenities that one needs. What more is religion going to offer? These are legitimate questions. The concept underlying these questions revolves around our body. Its health, its relations, its well-being, and comforts and luxuries it can indulge in are supposed to bring forth happiness. Accordingly, when such situations are to our liking, we consider ourselves happy. Unfortunately the body with which, we identify ourselves and also everything around it is transitory. All Page 22 of 398 Compendium of Jainism - 2015 Page #23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ INTRODUCTION A02 Dharma: Religion the situations are ephemeral. The happiness that we might be experiencing from such situations can disappear at any time. We do not know what is going to happen at the next moment. In fact, our socalled happiness is unstable and short-lived. Even if situations conducive to our interest were likely to continue indefinitely, peace and happiness may not always materialize. As the poet Percy Shelley put it in one of his poems, we are prone to 'look before and after and pine for what is naught.' Hardly anyone feels satisfied with what he has. We have the tendency to desire what we don't have. Our desires are endless and as long as those desires remain unsatisfied, no one can ever feel happy and experience real peace that can lead to blissful pleasure. We may strive hard for achieving that pleasure but hardly any one attains it any time during his life. 02 What is Religion? The growth of scientific knowledge and technology has given new dimensions to our lives and has influenced every aspect of our living. Science has done a great service to mankind by providing amenities for pleasant living and has saved men from many miseries and uncertainties of the primitive past. It has also destroyed many superstitions and religious dogmas. At the same time, the scientific outlook has uprooted the moral, religious, and cultural values of our society. In the light of the advance of scientific perspective some individuals have renounced our traditional religious beliefs and values. We know much about the atom but not much about the values needed for a meaningful and peaceful life. We are living in a state of disarray. Our lives are full of worries, emotional disorders, and conflict of values. Today man needs mental peace and complete integration with his own personality and with his social environment. Can religion, in general, and Jainism, in particular, meet this need of our times? Yes, it can. Religion has eternal concepts and values that can meet the needs of the time. Now, what do we mean by the term religion? Many western scholars define religion as faith. Some say that religion is belief in spiritual beings. Others define religion as faith in the conservation of values. The inner core of religion is faith, but it is the faith in our own existence and our own real nature, belief in some eternal and spiritual values that are essential for the existence and uplift of mankind. A generally accepted definition of religion is 'Dhärayati Iti Dharma'. It means that what holds (from falling) is religion. Our remaining in a deluded state constitutes a fall and religion tends to protect us. It teaches us that the physical body, with which we identify ourselves, is alive on account of the soul that abides within it. The soul is our true self. We are the consciousness pervading the body and our association with a body terminates at the end of life. The true nature of consciousness is to know whatever happens without any sense of craving or aversion. It is therefore futile to be pleased or displeased with different situations. Thus by revealing our true nature, religion helps in extricating us from the deluded state in which we have been entangled since time without beginning. Religion teaches us to know ourselves. "He, who knows one (soul), also knows all; He who knows all, knows the one." This quotation taken from Jain scripture Ächäränga Sutra states that he who knows the soul, knows everything else. This is so because the knowledge of true Self as pure, enlightened, not aging, immortal and ever blissful soul can lead to the state of having no desire. Therefore, Jain scriptures define religion as 'Vatthu Sahävo Dhammo'. It means that religion is the real nature of things. Religion is the nature or property of all substances (Dravyas) including soul and

essence is to be taken to be present-in all probability. Thus, the external form is limited only to a certain society, it is not easy to come across it in any other society. The essence of culture, however, can possibly be found in the followers of other society as with the followers of that particular society. The real fact is that the essence of culture or its soul are so wide and independent that place, time, race, language and customs cannot bind its flow and bind it to themselves. Essence of Jain Culture: Religion teaching abstention The question is as to what the essence of Jain culture is. It is that abstention is the very soul of Jain culture. The religion which presents us with abstention, i.e., destroys the circle of rebirth or as a means to this abstention when the religion is born, has developed and is propagated, is known as Nivartaka dharma, i.e., religion Page #75 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ Heart of Jaina Culture 51 teaching abstention. We should ponder a little over the nature of ancient and contemporary religions in order clearly to understand what Nivartaka dharma means. Classification of Religions If we were to classify the internal form of all the living religions of the world and religions whose history is available more or less, they can be divided into three types: (1) The first is that which ponders over only the present birth. The second is that which brings into consideration birth and rebirth both, (2) (3) The third is that which considers birth, rebirth as also begin. ning and end or uprooting these. Anātmavāda In remote ancient times as to-day, there were thinkers who were not inspired by any conception of happiness beyond that in the present life. They were not inspired by any such idea and did not think it proper to pass their time in the pursuit of its means. Their only aim was enjoyment of the happiness only of the present life. They collected all the means to fulfil this aim. They held that whatever man is he is so only till the present birth persists. To them the meaning of rebirth was, at the most, propagation and continuance of the family-line through children. Man is not going to be reborn to enjoy the fruits of all the good actions that he performs in life. The fruits of our actions may be reaped by our children or the society. If this is to be designated rebirth', there is no objection. The class of persons who thought on these lines are known in our ancient Scriptures as Anātmavādī or atheists. Later on, this class was designated Carvakavādi, From the viewpoint of this group, all aims worth making an effort for, are simply worldly enjoyments. The Carvakans did not conceive of any dharma as a means to this; they did not conceive of any rules or prescriptions for the purpose. They can therefore be known as exerting only for passion-Kāma, or, at the most believing in two efforts - Kama and Artha. Page #76 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ Essence of Jainism Pravartaka Dharma- Prescriptive Religion or Religion of activity Another class of thinkers no doubt takes physical joys of life to be an end, but tbey also believe that the happiness that is possible to be had in this life also continues in the births that follow after one is reborn on death. In this manner, the series of rise and fall of physical and mental joys continues. If we want to be happy in the other birth as in the present coe, or if we want to acquire greater happiness, we should resort to religious deeds also. Earning of prosperity may become a means useful and beneficial in this life, but religious merit is a must for the high and higher happiness of other lives. Persons who held this ideology resorted to various religious works and had the faith of acquiring the higher joys of other worlds, This class of thinkers is Ātmavādi and accepts higher the theory of rebirth, but its expectation is to scale higher and heights of happiness and to make this happiness more and more steady for longer periods of time. Their religious practices are here. fore known as Pravartaka dharma. A brief summary of this would be this. One should try to make ones social system regularized and active in such a manner that every member of the society aps happiness as per his ability and status and prepares for the life after death in such a manner that he is enabled to acquire greater and more steady bappiness even in the other birth. The purpose of Pravartaku dharma is to better the birth hereafter along with the social system. It is not to uproot the life hereafter. According to the Pravartaka dharma thus, there are 3 efforts- Purušā. rthas. The fourth Puruśārtha liberation - Moksa-is not conceived of along with Kāma, Artha and Dharma. The ancient Tranjan Aryans whose religious scripture was the Avesta and the ancient Vedic Aryans who believed only in the mantia and Brāhmaṇa part of the Vedas, were all the

therefore not surprising that Jain scholars have time and again insisted on the study of not only Jainism, but also the six schools of thought prevalent in India and collectively known as Shad-darshan. Broadly classified, they are known as Vedic and Shraman traditions, both having originated from the same Indo-Aryan culture. Both of them have addressed the subject of universal happiness and have discovered that the way to universal happiness is to wish and act for happiness and well being for all. If every one acts accordingly, the world can turn into paradise and there would not be any misery; at least man-made misery would come to an end. Indian philosophies go beyond seeking happiness in this life. Almost all of them believe in the existence of an eternal soul and in a continually changing pattern of every thing else. Therefore, they seek happiness that lasts beyond the present life. Their ultimate goal is to present the path of liberation leading to the termination of the cycle of life and death. However, as long as we are not liberated, their approach is to seek continuing happiness. The above two verses therefore urge everyone to look earnestly for the well being of all others, to stay meritorious in this life to be sure of reaping fruits of their merits in subsequent lives. 50 JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I Page #51 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ WHAT IS DHARMA (RELIGION) When one talks of religion, the question may arise, 'Why do we bother about religion? Could we not be happy in this life without worrying about religion?' One may be healthy, have a loving spouse and children that they love, have plenty of money, and possess all the amenities that one needs. What more is religion going to offer? These are legitimate questions. The concept underlying these questions revolves around our body. Its health, its relations, its well being, and comforts and luxuries it can indulge in are supposed to bring forth happiness. Accordingly, when such situations are to our liking, we happen to consider ourselves happy. Unfortunately the body with which we identify ourselves and also everything around it happens to be transitory. All the situations are ephemeral. The happiness that we might be experiencing from such situations can disappear at any time. We do not know what is going to happen at the next moment. As such, our so-called happiness happens to be unstable and short-lived. Even if situations conducive to our interest were likely to continue indefinitely, peace and happiness may not always materialize. As the poet Percy Shelley put it in one of his poems, we are prone to 'look before and after and pine for what is naught.' Hardly anyone feels satisfied with what he has. We have the tendency to desire what we don't have. Our desires are endless and as long as desires remain unsatisfied, no one can ever feel happy and experience real peace that can lead to blissful pleasure. We may strive hard for achieving that pleasure but hardly any one attains it any time during life. This is because we seldom try to explore who we are and what is our true nature. Nothing against our nature is going to give us lasting happiness or real satisfaction. Jain scriptures therefore define religion as Vatthu Sahavo Dhammo! It means that religion is the nature or property of all substances (Dravyas) including soul and matter. Without knowing ourselves and without realizing our own nature, we have been trying to gain happiness. No wonder that it eludes us, because we have been trying to gain it from extraneous circumstances. In a way, we have been dwelling all the time in a state of delusion about ourselves. We can just as well say we have been pursuing a mirage. Herein comes the role of religion. A generally accepted definition of religion is 'Dhärayati Iti Dharmah' It means that what holds (from falling) is religion. Our remaining in a deluded state constitutes a fall and religion tends to protect us. It teaches us that the physical body with which we identify ourselves, is alive on account of the soul that abides within it. The soul is our true self. We are the consciousness pervading the body and our association with a body terminates at the end of life. The true nature of consciousness is to know whatever happens without any sense of craving or aversion. It is therefore futile to be pleased or displeased with different situations. Thus by revealing our true nature, religion helps in extricating us from the deluded state in which we have been entangled since time without beginning. Religion teaches us to know ourselves. "He who knows one (soul), also knows all; He who knows all, knows the one." JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I Page #52 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ WHAT IS DHARMA (RELIGION) This quotation taken from Jain scripture Ächäräng Sutra states that he who knows the soul, knows every thing else.

jvalaMta udAharaNa parama yogI zrImad rAjacaMdrajInA A svasaMvedanarUpa AtmAnubhavagamya sahaja ugAra uparathI svayaM sUcita thAya che - "laghuvayathI adbhuta thaye, tattvajJAnane bedha; e ja sUcave ema ke, gati Agati kAM zodha ? je saMskAra thavo ghaTe, ati abhyAse kAya? vinA parizrama te thayo, bhavazaMkA zI tyAMya ?"-zrImad rAjacaMdrajI. bhUtakALamAM paNa janmathI ja atyaMta asAdhAraNa yogasAmarthya dAkhavanArA aneka mahApuruSonAM caritro paNa A ja vAtanI puSTi kare che. jemake-vIza varSanI nAnI uMmaramAM jJAnezvarI jevo asAmAnya graMtha lakhanAra saMta jJAnezvara, ghaDIAmAM bIjA udAharaNe ramatAM paNa jene pUrvArAdhita munibhAva sAMbharI AvyuM hatuM, te mahAyogI vajIsvAmI. pAMca varSanI laghuvayamAM asAdhAraNa buddhicApalya darzAvanAra kalikAlasarvajJa zrI hemacaMdrAcAryajI, ane dharmadhuraMdhara zrI yazovijayajI, saMta kabIrajI, ramaNa maharSi AdinAM caritro paNa enI sAkSI pUre che. khuda tIrthakara bhagavaMto paNa janmathI ja mati-zruta-avadhi e traNa jJAnanA dhAraka hatA e hakIkata paNa x" athavA yoginAmeva kule bhavati dhImatAm / etaddhi durlabhataraM loke janma yadIdRzam // tatra saM yuddhiyo zramane pauvaizmi cAle ja to mayaH vaMtiau gurunaMdana " -gItA Page #762 (AI-GENERATED, RESEARCH USE ONLY): --------------------------- (686) The collection of *gadashti* indicates that one is a *kulgi* from birth. Hundreds of examples of *kulgis* can be given, which are the result of the practice of yoga in previous births. Such *kulyogis* naturally have speed inherent in them. As soon as they wake up from sleep, shaking off laziness, they remember the events of the previous night, and then they quickly and swiftly pass through the stages of *pravrittachakradi* yoga and attain the state of *gadashana* - the state of *siddha*. The *kulgi* nature, which is described as birth in this *yogikul*, is in relation to spiritual *sanskar*, i.e., it is *sanskar* itself in the form of birth. Just as a man has an external birthplace, similarly, a *gipurusha* has this spiritual birth in a subtle form. In practical terms, just as the external, well-developed body is born, similarly, in terms of ultimate reality, the *yogasanskar* is the birth of the soul, which is endowed with *sanskar*. Just as the gross body of a man is created from the *bijaadhana*, similarly, the subtle *sanskar* body of the soul is created from the *g-bijaadhana*. Just as there are external parents who are the *bijaadhana* of the external body, similarly, there are *yogis* who are the parents in the form of *bijaadhana* of this spiritual subtle body. Just as qualities and characteristics are inherited from parents in the physical body, similarly, *gunasanskar* is inherited from the spiritual *sanskaraswami* *gis* in this subtle body. Just as "like father, like son, and like grandfather, like grandson", similarly, these *gi-balas* are like *gipitas*. But external birth has the purpose of rebirth, while this spiritual *sanskarajanama* has the purpose of non-rebirth. Practical birth has the purpose of death, while this ultimate birth has the purpose of immortality. Or, that external gross body birth is not really birth in terms of ultimate reality, but in terms of feeling, it is the death of the soul, it is the death of feeling; the true ultimate birth of the soul is to be born endowed with *sanskar*. This ultimate, blessed, ultimate *sanskarajanama* has been attained by these *kulyogis*, and from birth, they have attained the religion of *yogis*. And others who are naturally inclined towards the religion of *yogis* are also *kulgis*. That is, those who follow the religion of *yogis* are also called " *kulgis* ". What is this " *gi dharma* "? One who has a connection with yoga is a *yogi*, and the connection of the soul with liberation, which is its nature, is called yoga. So, one who has a connection with the soul's nature, i.e., one who has attained the pursuit of the soul's nature, is a *yogi*, and the religion that such a *yogi* has is *gidharma*. What is it? Thus, to pursue the soul's nature, to practice and cultivate the soul's nature, to attain self-realization, is the religion of *yogis*. Moreover, the word " *dharma* " also indicates the same feeling, because the nature of a thing is its *dharma*. ====================== | Romanization (original text) | ====================== (686) gadaSTisamuccaya AjanmagIpaNuM ja sUcave che. Ama kulagIenA seMkaDo dAkhalA ApI zakAya ema che, je pUrvajanmanA yogAbhyAsanuM ja pariNAma che. AvA kulayogIone vega sahaja svabhAve siddha hoya che. uMghamAMthI ALasa maraDIne UThatAM ja gata rAtrInA banAvanI peThe temane yega yAda AvI jAya che, ane pachI pravRttacakrAdi yogAbhUmikAo jhapATAbaMdha atyaMta vege vaTAvI jaI teo niSpanna gadazAne-siddhadazAne pAme che. A yogIkulamAM janmarUpa je kulagIpaNuM kahyuM te adhyAtma saMskAranI apekSAe che, arthAt te saMskAra jamarUpa che. jema puruSane bAhya janma sthala svarUpe che, tema gIpuruSane A AdhyAtmika janma sUkSma svarUpe che. vyavahArathI AdhyAtmika jema bAhya