Heritage Of The Last Arhat Mahavira

Here's a comprehensive summary of Charlotte Krause's lecture "The Heritage of the Last Arhat Mahāvīra," based on the provided text:

Introduction and Purpose:

The lecture, published by Parshvanath Vidyapeeth in 1997 as a reprint of a 1930 publication, aims to present the principal teachings of Lord Mahāvīra and their impact on India's social and cultural heritage. The publisher notes its release on the eve of Lord Mahāvīra's 2596th Birth Anniversary.

Relativity of Religious Truth:

Krause begins by acknowledging that individuals are shaped by their birth, education, and religious dogma. However, she argues that this should not prevent us from exploring other religions, appreciating their merits, and comparing our own beliefs with them. She uses the parable of the blind men and the elephant to illustrate that each religion, like each blind man's perception, may grasp only a part of the Divine Truth. Therefore, judging a religion in isolation is like judging a single petal or a single note – it misses the broader picture.

Criterion of an Ideal Religion:

Krause proposes a criterion for judging a religion's merit: its ability to guarantee a state of perfect and permanent harmony between the well-being of the individual and the well-being of society. She posits that life is a constant balancing act between individual egoism and societal ethics. A religion that successfully guides individuals along this line, ensuring the "greatest happiness of the greatest number," is of high value.

Jainism's Value and Mahāvīra's Teachings:

Jainism, with its roots in the teachings of Vardhamāna Mahāvīra and his predecessors, is presented as a religion that meets this criterion. Krause emphasizes its promise of the "greatest happiness for the greatest number" of all living beings.

Key Jain Principles:

The lecture then delves into the core tenets of Jainism:

• The Soul and Fellow-Creatures: Jainism teaches that everything that lives possesses a soul, and all souls are fellow-creatures, regardless of their form or state of development (from gods to insects, from saints to criminals). All share commonalities like having bodies, senses, instincts, birth, death, and the capacity for suffering and joy, as well as the potential for perfection.

• Karma: The concept of "Karma" is central. It is the substance assimilated through our actions (bodily and mental) that remains latent and shapes our destiny. Every action, from walking to speaking, from loving to hating, binds karma, which ripens later, either in this life or future ones. The principle is stated: "To the actions we do, corresponds the result we have to incur, as the fruit corresponds to the seed that has been sown." Good deeds lead to latent happiness, while evil deeds sow the seeds of sorrow. Stopping the bondage of karma leads to self-realization and Moksha (Freedom or Salvation).

• Ahiṁsā (Non-injury): The law of karma culminates in the glorification of Ahiṁsā. Causing suffering to any fellow-creature, for any reason, harms one's own soul. This leads to a fall from inner development and an imbalance of well-being. The saying "Ahiṁsā Paramo Dharmaḥ" (Non-injury is the highest of all religious principles) is highlighted as crucial to daily Jain life, acting as a psychical galvanometer for disturbances in the community.

• Freedom of Will: Jainism asserts that the soul is not a helpless automaton bound by past deeds. It possesses free will, which allows individuals to break the fetters of karma, destroy evil dispositions, and control passions. This freedom of volition is the essential first step towards religious activity. Jainism, therefore, does not promote fatalism but encourages self-conquest.

• The Struggle Against Karma: The lecture emphasizes the difficulty of this struggle, acknowledging that even basic actions like sitting and breathing involve harming life. The question is posed: "How to walk, how to stand, how to sit, how to lie down, how to eat, and how to speak, without binding undesirable Karma?"

• Pratyākhyāna (Vow of Restriction): The sole way to avoid binding bad karma is "Pratyākhyāna," the solemn vow of restriction concerning harmful acting. This involves not just avoiding evil deeds but doing so with full intention and deliberation. Examples include vows against eating meat, eating at night, wearing silk or leather, breaking flowers, or wasting resources.

  • Pañca Mahāvrata (Five Great Vows): These are the highest form of Pratyākhyāna, taken by monks, encompassing non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, sexual renunciation, and non-possession. These vows, applied to thought, word, and action, guarantee the optimum of faultlessness.
  • Twelve Laymen Vows: These are for lay followers, offering various degrees of strictness and optional duration, representing a high form of ethical conduct.
  • Other Vows: Jain laymen and monks also undertake temporary vows to avoid specific foods, travel, or engage in practices of chastity.

• Valuation of Pratyākhyānas: The merit of these vows is judged not only by their duration or the object concerned but primarily by their transcendental quality. Harming a more developed being incurs graver consequences than harming a less developed one. This is illustrated by the hierarchy of harm from plucking vegetables to killing a tiger, an anteater, or a criminal, and the societal condemnation of cannibalism but not animal slaughter.

• Securing Happiness through Benefiting Others: Counterbalancing the avoidance of harm is the effort to secure happiness by furthering the well-being of others. While pure, unhampered happiness is only possible after the removal of all karma, good karma forms the basis for the struggle against negative karma. This is achieved through charity, hospitality, and selfless service. The highest merit comes from serving those closer to the Jain ideal.

• Four Attitudes (Maitri, Pramoda, Kārunya, Mādhyasthya): Jain social conduct is characterized by:

  • Maitri (Amity): Wishing no creature to suffer and for the universe to find salvation.
  • Pramoda (Joy): Appreciating the virtues of those free from sin and who see the essence of things.
  • Kārunya (Compassion): Wishing to help all creatures in need.
  • Mādhyasthya (Impartiality/Leniency): Bearing with those who commit cruel actions, blaspheme the divine, or are arrogant.

• Samyama (Renunciation): Renunciation is the second great postulate. It involves continuous self-control by giving up attachments to physical happiness. This is also practiced through various Pratyākhyānas, with the Five Great Vows being the climax. The focus shifts to avoiding actions that disturb one's own equilibrium and calmness, leading to the prohibition of excessive indulgence in food, sleep, and sensual pleasures.

• Tapa (Austerity): Austerity, or self-imposed suffering for religious reasons, is another key expedient. It aids in consuming bad karma and realizing Ahimsa and Samyama. Practices include fasting, specific postures, meditation, and study. The austerity of Sallekhanā involves a solemn resignation from food, undertaken by the very pious when death is near.

• Self-Preservation and Ideal Conduct: Jainism promotes self-realization, which necessitates the exertion of all bodily and mental powers, wakefulness, and an iron will. However, it also emphasizes reasonable self-preservation within ethical limits. The parable of the six travelers and the mango tree illustrates this, with the highest purity advocating for taking fallen fruit rather than complete self-negation and death by hunger. The scriptures explicitly state that even at the cost of renunciation, one should guard oneself, as the body is the instrument of renunciation. Monks are taught to regulate their entire physical and mental activity to live in harmony with all life, securing their own happiness while contributing to the world's welfare.

The Ideal of the Jina/Arhat:

The ultimate ideal in Jainism is the Jina or Arhat, a perfect human being at the threshold of Moksha. They are omniscient, all-perceiving, filled with joy and strength, and free from passion and attachment. Although their physical body is maintained by residual karma, they live solely for the benefit of the world, showing the right path through preaching and their exemplary lives. Jain worship of the Jina's statue is an expression of admiration for this ideal.

Monkhood and Lay Practice:

While Jinahood is the ultimate ideal, it is recognized that even Jain monkhood is a high standard, accessible only to a few. The Scriptures do not speculate on a world where everyone becomes a monk. However, acknowledging the ideal and striving to cultivate its virtues is considered a step towards advancement.

Conclusion:

Krause concludes by stating that Jainism's innermost secret lies in Ahiṁsā, Samyama, and Tapa. She contrasts this with the current generation's encouragement of boundless egoism and unrestrained violence, calling it a fearful mistake leading to degeneration. Jainism's simple axiom that egoism dissolves into perfect individual bliss is presented as the foundation of this ancient doctrine, a noble image of Eternal Truth. She reiterates that her lecture, focusing on the individual-society relationship, serves as an introduction to the spirit of Jainism.