Mahavir Parmatmanu Vyapak Jivan - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Mahavir Parmatmanu Vyapak Jivan" by Fatehchand J. Shah, based on the given pages:

The book, "Mahavir Parmatmanu Vyapak Jivan" (The Pervasive Life of Lord Mahavir), authored by Fatehchand J. Shah, celebrates the 2553rd birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir. The author posits that the birthdays of great souls serve as guiding lights, offering timely warnings, true direction, and opportunities for introspection about our current life path. Lord Mahavir, despite living 2553 years ago, shines brightly, illuminating our inner vision, much like the sun, which remains visible despite its immense distance due to its brilliance. His teachings provide spiritual inspiration across millennia.

The author highlights the captivating ideals of Lord Mahavir's life:

Non-violence (Ahimsa): Described as pervasive and subtle as the sky.
Asceticism and Endurance: Unparalleled and remarkable.
Organizational Prowess: His management of both householder and monastic orders is so profound that it would impress even great politicians.

However, the author emphasizes Lord Mahavir's power of synthesis (Samanvayashakti) as his most exceptional quality. Just as the union of opposing forces like fire and water creates power in an engine, synthesis drives the world, nature's development, and the progress of humanity. This principle is encapsulated in the Tattvartha Sutra's aphorism, "Parasparopagraho Jivanam" (Mutual support of souls).

Lord Mahavir's philosophy of synthesis is Anekantavada (the doctrine of manifold aspects). The author laments that this nuanced approach has been lost, with a focus on refutation rather than finding common ground. The pursuit of a single perspective has led to the negation of others, transforming Anekantavada into E Kantavada (one-sidedness).

Lord Mahavir, possessing the lamp of omniscience (Kevaljnana), ignited numerous other lamps in the form of the Ganadharas. He presented the Twelve Angas (Dwadashangi) of knowledge to the world, derived from the essence of his omniscience. The text explains that his attainment of Tirthankar-hood was due to the fruition of meritorious karmas accumulated through thousands of births, including the profound aspiration in his third life to establish a reign of righteousness for all souls, purifying his mind, speech, and body. The core principle of the Dwadashangi, such as "Tr Viyadhavyayukta Sat" (all worldly substances are eternal in their essence, though subject to origination and destruction), was presented by him, a scientific concept understood by him thousands of years ago.

The author clarifies that Lord Mahavir did not create the world but revealed its true nature. He asserts that the soul itself is the creator (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara), responsible for its own sustenance, development, and eventual dissolution through its inherent energies (Paryaptis). This entire process is driven by karma, not an external creator. The soul and karma together have been, are, and will be creating this eternal cycle of existence. This is his omniscient principle, positing no intermediary creator.

Lord Mahavir's philosophical teachings are rich with subtle realities, including:

Eternity and Transience (Nityanityapanu):
Unity and Multiplicity (Ek-Anekapanu):
Materiality and Immateriality (Murta-Amurtaapanu):
Absolute and Conventional Truth (Nischay and Vyavahar):
Substance, Qualities, and Modes (Dravya, Guna, and Paryay):
Seven Perspectives (Nayas):
Seven-Fold Predication (Saptabhangi):
Six Substances (Dravyas):
Five Uniting Principles (Samavayos):
The comprehensive nature of knowledge (Gnanashiyakhyan Mahataḥ):
The subtle nature of the eight karmas (Bandha, Udaya, Udīraṇā, Sattā, Sankraman), which is not found in other philosophies.

Regarding his Tirthankar-ship, the book explains that a soul becomes a Tirthankar by a profound desire, with utmost sincerity, to uplift all beings from worldly suffering and afflictions through mind, speech, and body. The desire to uplift the community, caste, and nation leads to becoming a Ganadhara, while desiring only one's own liberation results in becoming an ordinary Kevali. The text also mentions that Buddha, too, achieved Buddhahood after perfecting the ten perfections (paramitas) like wisdom, charity, knowledge, conduct, and forgiveness in his previous lives as a Bodhisattva.

Lord Mahavir's life serves as a prime example of how a soul, through circumstances and the peculiarities of karma, can experience suffering, fall into deep pits of degradation despite opportunities for development, and then, through immense effort and extraordinary valor, achieve complete elevation. His 26 births between attaining right faith (Samyaktva) and finally becoming a Tirthankar demonstrate the victory of the soul over karma through progressively strengthening his willpower. He ultimately achieved liberation, becoming worthy of worship. While the birth and death of ordinary beings are common, Lord Mahavir's journey, marked by overcoming mountainous adversities, continuous calamities, falls from grace, and then steadfastly persevering with self-confidence, effort, without begging for mercy or expecting divine help, and even contemplating compassion for those who inflicted suffering, illustrates a noble and divine spiritual life that benefited countless beings. Such souls, who achieve complete self-development and reach the pinnacle of progress, become Mahatmas and are revered by the universe.

Lord Mahavir stated that he possessed no such thing as liberation (Moksha) to give to others. Instead, he advised that by following the path of right vision, knowledge, and conduct, taking refuge in Jain images and scriptures, cultivating equanimity with a focus on virtues, practicing both knowledge and action, accepting Anekantavada while refraining from divisive activities, striving for non-violence, asceticism, renunciation, and restraint, and developing faith, knowledge, conduct, and meditative strength, one can indeed end the beginningless and endless cycle of Samsara. Through the development of the soul's infinite qualities, one can achieve liberation independently of karma.

Lord Mahavir's meticulous examination of karma through omniscience reveals the truth of completeness. The soul gets entangled in the cycle of suffering and binds karma when it falls into inert, unnatural states, developing attachment to the body, family, possessions, etc., through passions like attachment and aversion. Without awakened consciousness, the soul experiences the consciousness of karma and its results. The subtle workings of karma—its binding, origination, intensification, potential, and transfer—are uniquely explained in Jain philosophy. Lord Mahavir presented a comprehensive framework of Jain philosophy and practice, including non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, non-possession, the four traditions (Anuyogas), following the path, worship of the Jinas, compassion for living beings, stages of spiritual progress, the twelve vows for householders, minimal compassion for householders (Sava Vasa Daya), monastic compassion (Vis Vasa Daya), charity, virtue, asceticism, devotional practices, the interplay of substance, qualities, and modes, and the nine tattvas. Adhering to this framework allows one to earn meritorious karma and achieve liberation by shedding all karmas.

The principles laid down by Lord Mahavir are as certain as 2+2=4. He did not introduce new principles; they are eternal and have been followed by all previous Tirthankaras. Truth is singular.

The universe operates through five causal principles: Time, Nature, Destiny, Effort, and Karma. Lord Mahavir emphasized the soul's effort, highlighting karma's potential to cause degradation. He stressed that destruction of desires cannot occur without effort. The soul's inherent weaknesses, stemming from past desires, prevent the culmination of time's impact. Excuses like the strength of karma or destiny are used to conceal weakness. However, by prioritizing effort, the influence of time and destiny diminishes, and the soul gains strength to shed all karmas.

With Lord Mahavir's guidance, numerous souls crossed the ocean of Samsara during his lifetime, including Meghakumar, Chandakaushik serpent, Arjunmali, and Chandanbala. His teachings will continue to influence for another 18,500 years. His unique contribution lies in harmonizing the teachings of the eleven Ganadharas with Vedic pronouncements in Jain philosophy, as celebrated by Anandghanji. Science is but a division of Lord Mahavir's infinite knowledge. For instance, in the Bhagavati Sutra, he answered Gautam Swami's questions about the colors, scents, tastes, and textures of speech-substance particles (Bhasha-vargana), a knowledge only an omniscient being could possess. Thousands of years ago, he stated that speech-vargana is in the form of particles, a concept now validated by radio and gramophone technology, and the capture of shadow and light particles by cameras.

In essence, the book urges readers to embrace Lord Mahavir's teachings, live by his commandments, unite to implement his life principles, abandon new afflictions, and come together for the progress of the Jain community. It encourages spreading his principles abroad through missions and preparing comprehensive literature about his life from historical, scientific, yogic, and spiritual perspectives, covering householder and monastic life, filial piety, friendship, Ganadharism, and the establishment of Tirthas. By shedding laziness, becoming diligent, and progressing in non-violence, restraint, asceticism, meditation (Samayika), celibacy, and charity, one can develop the soul's infinite potential and achieve liberation, just like him. This is an undeniable truth.

Lord Mahavir's Ahant Dharma (path of the liberated soul) proclaims the adoption of duty, righteous conduct, and the prevention of mental weakness caused by idleness, grief, worry, and fear. It encourages constant self-reflection, maintaining sweetness in bitterness, finding happiness in sorrow, not succumbing to suffering, and refraining from lamentation. By immersing the soul in vision, knowledge, and conduct, and strengthening willpower, one can achieve continuous progress.