Shraman
By Muni Sheelgun Vijayji
The pursuit for happiness has been the primary endeavour for every Ātman. In this pursuit, it is forgotten that every Ātman is the storehouse of these immeasurable power:
- Kevalgyaan (Complete knowledge)
- Kevaldarshan (Complete perspective)
- Kevalcharitra (Complete character)
‘Keval’ meaning absolute or complete. Kevalgyaan is the state in which the Ātman knows everything in this universe as clearly as a lemon sitting on the palm of one’s hand. Kevaldarshan gives the complete perspective of universe.
Charitra is character. Kevalcharitra is the state in which the an Ātman free from any kind of desires and bad qualities like anger, jealousy, greed, etc, attains its divine state.
Two enemies Raaga (passion, love, desire) and Dvesha (hatred, enmity, dislike) stand in the way to realising this strength. These enemies bound the Ātman to the flesh and bones and lead to an endless sequence of sorrows through the cycles of birth and death.
Only the warriors who have conquered these inner enemies become the mighty Jina. Anybody who has conquered the inner enemies can be a ‘Jina’ it may be Mahaveer, Shiva, Jesus, Buddha or Allah. One who has conquered Raaga and Dvesha is victorious. One who still suffers from Raaga and Dvesha is incomplete.
It is not about one person but it is about thoughts and personality. This is the uniqueness of Jainism. It does not revolve around any single person but it revolves around everybody in the universe.
Having conquered the enemies, the Jina also show the path to others in conquering these enemies. Following this path are Śramaṇa who toil sincerely to live every word of Jina.
The pre-requisite to become a Śramaṇa or a Muni or a Sadhu is to attain Vairagya(detachment from the materialistic world). This is followed by preparation to remain equanimous in all situations. A Sadhu is one who can change the mental situation when the outside situations refuse to change. Adjustability is the primary quality of a Muni. “To live and let others live” is the primary motto of his life. One who has these qualities are granted the permission to become a Jain Sadhu.
A Sadhu follows these 5 Mahavrata, the great vows through his life:
- Ahiṃsā (Non-violence)
- Satya (Truth)
- Asteya (Non-stealing)
- Brahmacharya (Chastity)
- Aparigraha (Non-possession)
Those 5 great Vows are a priceless gift from Lord Mahaveer to this world.
More on these vows coming soon…
