Dharm Ane Panth 01

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Dharm ane Panth" by Sukhlal Sanghavi and Bechardas Doshi:

This text draws a fundamental distinction between Dharm (Religion/Virtue) and Panth (Sect/Path), arguing that true religion is intrinsic and virtue-based, while sects are extrinsic and form-based.

Core Differences:

• Origin and Focus:

  • Dharm: Originates from within the soul, is about inner introspection, and guides individuals towards their inner selves.
  • Panth: Arises from external influences, social observation, and outward appearances. It keeps individuals focused on external aspects.

• Basis of Adherence:

  • Dharm: Is based on virtues and relies on the soul's qualities. It is about inner character.
  • Panth: Is based on outward forms and appearances. It emphasizes external things like dress, colors, mannerisms, and possessions, leading to rigid adherence to these outward markers.

• Unity vs. Division:

  • Dharm: Fosters a sense of unity and oneness, promoting equality and a feeling of shared humanity. It encourages forgetting differences and recognizing the interconnectedness of beings.
  • Panth: Creates divisions and inequalities, widening the gaps between people. It emphasizes differences and can lead to a lack of empathy for others' suffering.

• Humility vs. Arrogance:

  • Dharm: Naturally cultivates humility. Even with great achievements or wealth, individuals remain humble, seeing themselves as small in the face of true reality and the vastness of existence.
  • Panth: Often leads to a sense of superiority, even without significant inner qualities. Any humility shown is often superficial and meant to enhance one's perceived greatness. This is due to a lack of true spiritual insight and an absence of understanding the infinite nature of virtues and the limitations of the self.

• Perspective and Tolerance:

  • Dharm: Possesses a vision of truth, leading to patience in understanding all perspectives and generosity in accepting them.
  • Panth: Adheres to a distorted view of truth, focusing on only one side of an issue. It lacks the inclination to understand opposing viewpoints and has no tolerance for them.

• Focus on Self vs. Others:

  • Dharm: Emphasizes self-reflection on one's own faults and the recognition of others' virtues.
  • Panth: Tends to focus on the faults of others and the virtues of one's own group, often overlooking one's own shortcomings.

• Perception of the Divine:

  • Dharm: Individuals perceive the divine within themselves and their surroundings. They feel shame and fear of God's observation when they err.
  • Panth: Individuals often believe the divine resides in specific external locations (temples, pilgrimage sites, heavens). They feel detached from the divine when they make mistakes, leading to a lack of accountability and remorse.

• Acceptance and Inclusivity:

  • Dharm: Is universal, without barriers of caste, gender, age, symbols, or language. It is inclusive and welcoming to all.
  • Panth: Places importance on these external distinctions, often leading to exclusion and prejudice against those who do not conform. It can even reject individuals with genuine virtue if they do not belong to the specific sect.

• Purity and Defilement:

  • Dharm: Views the world as a single space, free from notions of untouchability. The only "untouchability" is associated with one's own sins.
  • Panth: Creates artificial divisions and notions of untouchability, often failing to recognize the "stench" of its own faults.

• Intolerance and Contempt:

  • Dharm: Encourages a broad perspective and acceptance of other paths.
  • Panth: Believes its own path is superior and views all others with contempt and a sense of inferiority.

• Conflict and Division:

  • Dharm: Resolves worldly disputes and promotes peace.
  • Panth: Generates disputes in the name of religion, hindering unity and often leading to conflict.

The Analogy of Water:

The text uses an analogy of water to illustrate the difference:

• Dharm (Religion) is like rainwater falling from the sky – pure, impartial, and accessible to all, with no distinction of high or low, taste, or form.
• Panth (Sect) is like water in a specific vessel (e.g., a Hindu's vessel for drinking) – it considers other water impure and untouchable, maintaining a rigid adherence to its own form and taste.

The Relationship Between Dharm and Panth:

While sects (Panths) may originate from true religion (Dharm), they often degenerate and harm the very religion they claim to represent, like a nail growing out of living flesh that causes irritation. When a sect becomes too detached from its religious core, it can become detrimental.

Reviving Dharm within Panth:

The text emphasizes that true welfare lies in infusing religion (Dharm) back into sects (Panths). A sect that has religion within it, regardless of its form or multiplicity, will be a source of well-being, characterized by love, humility, friendship, and patience, rather than pride, arrogance, enmity, and agitation.

The Role of the "Satyagrahi" (Truth-Seeker):

To revive Dharm within Panth, individuals must be "Satyagrahi" in their perspective. The characteristics of a Satyagrahi are:

1. Complete Understanding and Conviction: Deep knowledge and unwavering faith in one's own beliefs, enabling clear communication.
2. Humility in Explanation: The ability to explain beliefs without anger or ego, acknowledging any shortcomings openly.
3. Openness to Other Perspectives: Tolerance and eagerness to understand others' viewpoints, comparing and analyzing them, and being willing to abandon one's own if found flawed.
4. Synthesis of Truth: Recognizing that no single perspective holds absolute truth, and striving to synthesize truths from all sides, even if one's own partial truth is limited.

Conclusion:

The author concludes that sects without religion (Dharm) are destructive to society and nations, creating mental narrowness and false pride. They hinder unity and progress. The author urges readers to bring religion back into their respective sects or, failing that, to discard the sect altogether. It is better to be a non-sectarian human or even an animal than a person without religion. The ultimate duty is to infuse religious spirit into sects, emphasizing the importance of being a "Satyagrahi" in the pursuit of truth and unity.