Jainism: Forgiveness Is A Virtue

All Jain Tirthankaras along with Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ, Guru Nanak, Paigamber Mohammad Sahib etc. were superhumans who gave the message to the people of this world 'treat everybody lovingly'. " Sukhi rahen sab jeev jagat ke, koie kabhi na ghabraye" - all living beings live in peace, nobody should be ever afraid. Bair, pap, abhiman chhod jag nitya naye mangal gaye - leaving revenge, sin, ego - world ever sing joyous songs.

Jains feel that the values like love, joy and peace can be achieved only through caring for others, understanding the pain of others and reaching out to other human beings. Anger, confusion, egoism and intolerance cause harm to one's self and to the 'other'. But the negative energies suffocate, choke, distress and disturb. Love should not be in the form of words alone. It should reach out to people who need peace, mercy, joy, comfort, sympathy, food, clothing and medicines. This is love in its active, not passive manifestation, but true love is forgiveness for self sake.

Jains celebrate the act of forgiveness every year by seeking to forgive all fellow beings. The Jain way to forgive is to perceive the wholeness of life. To be forgiving is to live in the present and not cling to the past. To forgive is to have vision of a better future. Forgiveness is the foundation upon which reconciliation is built. Jainism says - man can follow religion only after realising the basic principles of life and combining thereto knowledge of the universe and the soul; and practising methods which lead the soul towards the attainment of its ultimate aim - moksha - or emancipation of soul. So it is said that, "Knowledge and its active utilisation lead to moksha - Gyan-kriyabhyam mokshah . "Patience as per Jainism, is a virtue that must permeate all spheres of life. Patience and successful practice of ahimsa can be possible only through penance.

In Jainism greater attention is drawn towards Meditation ( Dhyana ). It is the art of living in the present. It allows us to stay with the present, keeping away from the future. Dhyana means the concentration of our mind on one object. At any given time, the. mind is cluttered. It is when the mind is made to detach itself from all distractions and focus on one entity, that concentration occurs. Dhyana is the gate to attaining samadhi (eternal). Samadhi is that state of mind where there is no pain or sorrow, but eternal happiness.

Besides Acharya Muni Vidhyanand Ji Maharaj, Gupteesagar Ji Maharaj, Gyanmati Ji Ganani , Acharya Shivmuni Ji & Acharya Rajneesh the Jain teachings are exemplified by many other spiritual Masters, such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji, Asharam Bapu Ji,

Swami Sukhbodhananda and many other spiritual leaders, as they strive, serenely and steadfastly, for the welfare of humankind. They rise above the barriers of creed, caste and race to inculcate a transparent, compassionate and creative art of living.

The road to moksha is open only to those with samyagdarshan which is shraddha ( faith), gyan (knowledge) and charitra (good character). The doctrine of anekantvada in Jainism is often designated as 'the doctrine of manifestation' or the doctrine of standpoints. If only we were to recognise that before committing ourselves to one rigid view of truth, God or Reality, it would help to qualify each of our statements with a syad-- perhaps. This is a philosophy of modesty, for it admits to the incompleteness of human knowledge.