Abhaydayanam

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Abhaydayanam" by Vasantlal K. Shah, focusing on the key concepts presented in the excerpt:

The text emphasizes divine compassion (karuna) as the fundamental essence and driving force of the universe. The author argues that without this supreme compassion emanating from the divine (Paramatma), the entire cosmic order would collapse. Examples are given of how this compassion sustains natural phenomena like the sun rising, clouds raining, a child taking its first steps, flowers retaining their color and fragrance, and even the formation of mountains and the cohesion of water droplets in the ocean. Without this compassionate foundation, all components of this ordered structure would break apart and scatter.

The author asserts that compassion is what allows us to breathe and that it is this same compassion that unlocks the power of Dharma. The compassion of the Tirthankara deities, according to the text, made us aware of the greatness of Dharma, leading us to understand concepts like the twelve Bhavanas (reflections on impermanence, etc.), twelve Taps (austerities), ten Yati Dharma (virtues of ascetics), five Charitras (conduct), and the conquest of 22 Parishahas (hardships). Without this guidance, the world would be like a seventh hell, a mire of suffering, agony, stench, misfortune, and lack of joy. It would be a world of sinful, powerless humans devoid of merit, constantly attacking and devouring each other.

The ultimate purpose of life, therefore, is to experience this all-powerful divine compassion. We should step aside to allow this compassion to operate in our lives. While science interprets worldly events through forces like gravity, magnetism, and electricity, yoga science posits that compassion is the underlying force of all universal factors. The text warns that if this compassion were to be removed, the world would disintegrate.

The first and primary function of divine compassion is to make us fearless (nirbhay). This is why the first attribute mentioned in the stotra (hymn) is "Abhaydayanam" (giver of fearlessness). Only after this comes other forms of giving like knowledge, refuge, and enlightenment. The author highlights the critical need for a fearless mind in today's world, which is rife with fear and despair. Dharma, in essence, is designed to liberate us from all fears. Only a fearless mind can comprehend the glory and beauty of the divine.

The text explains that the mind becomes fearless only through the touch of the divine's uncaused and limitless compassion. This "steel-like" essence of compassion shatters the "glass house" of fear. The author questions what "dead coverings" prevent the divine's gaze from falling upon us when we bow our heads and kneel. The answer lies in self-exploration. When we learn to shed our ego and bow with the understanding that the act of bowing is "as it should be" (Evambhuta Naya), then divine compassion will embrace us like a mighty force. This active, universally recognized compassion is overflowing everywhere; it's our own "pitcher" that has holes.

The author's faith grows daily that compassion is the fundamental unit and central point of all spiritual practices. It is also the solution to the mental anguish we experience. Our lives are characterized by a continuous chain of fears: the fear of suffering or the fear of happiness departing. Without this, what else is our life? Not everything we desire is obtained, not everything obtained can be enjoyed, and not everything enjoyed brings happiness; some might even bring a reaction of sorrow. The solution to all this is love and connection with the divine. This is the way to instill fear in fear itself, both physically and mentally. The more we cultivate divine compassion, the more fear-free we become, and the stronger our loving connection grows.

Quoting Upadhyay Shri Yashovijayji, the text states that "to please someone, look to what they desire." When the divine looks upon us, and its gaze falls on us, and its compassion is earned, then the individual and the entire world are pleased. The author concludes with a prayer that divine compassion may fill every particle of our breath with joy, that every point of our strength may become a carrier of divine compassion's effulgence, and that every pulse and heartbeat becomes a musical curtain of that compassion.