Maa Parmatmaa

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Maa Parmatmaa" by Namramuni, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Maa Parmatmaa (Mother, where one meets the Supreme Soul) Author: Yug Diwakar Pujya Gurudev Shree Namramuni Maharaj Saheb Publisher: Parasdham, Mumbai Language: English (translated from Gujarati) Core Theme: The book explores the concept of motherhood, guiding mothers from individual, attachment-bound motherhood to a "universal motherhood" that transcends personal expectations and leads to spiritual realization and closeness to the Divine (Parmatmaa).

Key Concepts and Arguments:

• Motherhood as a Divine Responsibility: The book positions motherhood as a crucial, divinely ordained responsibility that requires specific "education" and preparation. It aims to provide this guidance to existing and future mothers.

• The Transformative Power of Motherhood: The book emphasizes that a mother's role is pivotal in shaping the future generation. It highlights the profound impact a mother has on her child's formative years and, by extension, on society.

• The Pitfalls of Attachment and Expectations: A central theme is the detrimental effect of attachment (raag) and expectations in motherhood. The author argues that these emotions bind a mother to the cycle of life and death, cause suffering, and hinder her spiritual progress.

  • Attachment vs. Love: The book draws a clear distinction between love and attachment. Love is presented as selfless, free from expectations, and conducive to well-being, while attachment is characterized by possessiveness, expectations, and ultimately leads to dissatisfaction and hatred (dwesh).
  • Consequences of Expectations: Expectations lead to complaints, unhappiness, ill health (due to worry), and a weakening connection to Parmatmaa. They can also cause harm to the child and damage the mother's own spiritual journey.

• The Ideal Mother: Universal Motherhood: The ideal mother, according to the book, is one who moves beyond individualistic, possessive motherhood. This "universal motherhood" is characterized by:

  • Love for all: Seeing every creature as one's child.
  • Pure love: Free from attachment and expectations.
  • Care and compassion: Not fear or obsession.
  • Connection to Parmatmaa: Prioritizing connection with the Divine over earthly bonds.
  • Equanimity and detachment: Maintaining a balanced approach, being detached from negative influences.

• The Journey from "Maa" to "Parmatmaa": The ultimate goal presented is for a mother to transform her "motherhood" (in the sense of attachment) into a state of divine realization, becoming one with the "Parmatmaa." This is achieved by shedding expectations and attachments.

• The Example of Marudeva and Lord Rushabhdev: The book extensively uses the story of Marudeva, the mother of Tirthankar Lord Rushabhdev, as a case study.

  • Marudeva's initial deep attachment and expectations for her son, even after he attained Kevalgyan (omniscience), caused her suffering.
  • Her realization that "nobody in this world is mine" and her subsequent introspection led her to detach from her son, allowing her to attain salvation before him.
  • Lord Rushabhdev, despite his divine status, exhibited true love for his mother by wishing for her liberation, not by being attached to her.

• The Impact of Maternal Thoughts and Environment During Pregnancy: The book delves into the Jain philosophical understanding of the significant influence a pregnant mother's thoughts, actions, and environment have on the developing child.

  • Seeds of character: Values and character are sown in the mother's womb.
  • Mental state: The mother's thoughts, fears, cravings, and even what she sees and hears directly impact the child.
  • Color therapy: The book suggests the importance of light colors in the environment for a calm child, contrasting it with the impact of dark or stimulating colors.
  • Controlled senses: Jain scriptures emphasize the importance of polite and pure conduct, sight, and hearing for pregnant women to ensure a positive influence on the child.

• Distinguishing True Love from Attachment (Raag): The book provides several parameters to differentiate between true love and attachment:

  • Love: Free from expectations, focuses on the other's well-being, leads to truth, success, surrender, tolerance, and acceptance. It arises from inner beauty.
  • Attachment (Raag): Based on physical attraction, outer beauty, possessiveness, expectations, calculations, leads to selfishness, deception, failure, hatred (dwesh), anger, and suffering. It diminishes over time and is like a sticker that peels off.

• The Role of a Divine Friend (Kalyan Mitra): The book highlights the importance of having a "divine friend" or Guru who possesses intuition and foresight. Such a friend guides one towards the truth, offers selfless support, and helps in navigating relationships and spiritual growth, preventing one from being misled by attachment.

Overall Message:

"Maa Parmatmaa" is a spiritual guide that aims to elevate motherhood beyond the ordinary, worldly understanding of attachment and expectation. It encourages mothers to cultivate a pure, universal love, connect with the Divine, and ultimately transform themselves into embodiments of spiritual wisdom and peace. The book emphasizes that by shedding personal desires and attachments, a mother can achieve a higher state of being, benefiting not only herself but also her children and the entire universe. It is a call to embrace a path of self-realization through the profound journey of motherhood.