A Tribute to His Jayanthi on April, 2nd 2015:
It is illuminating to remember the great legends like Sri Mahavira in the history of civilization and philosophical thought. Thanks for the teachings of Sri Mahavira. His teachings have become the foundations for Jain religion. Find the glimpse of Cosmos in the words of a Jain Acharya:
In the words of Jinasena: Some foolish men declare that the creator made the world. The doctrine that the world was created is ill advised and should be rejected. If god created the world, where was he before the creation? If you say he was transcendent then and needed no support, where is he now? How could god have made this world without any raw material? If you say that he made this first, and then the world, you are faced with an endless regression.
You get so much of revolutionary thoughts throughout the Jain philosophy.
What is strikingly similar is the thought process of the religious leaders across the world like Sri Mahavira, Buddha, Ten Commandments of Old Testament ( thou shalt not steal, murder, do adultery etc) and Christ ( Love people and God, Awake in the spiritual path, dedicate your life to the love, the fire of the human soul to merge with the divine fire etc.,) with the Astanga Yoga Marga of Patanjali.
In Astanga Yoga Marga as the name implies there are eight steps for reaching the highest mental state for a human being. They are 1) Yama, 2) Niyama, 3) Asana, 4) Pranayama, 5) Pratyahara 6) Dharana, 7) Dhyana and 8) Samadhi.
Among the above, the first two following steps were ceremoniously practiced and preached by all the religious leaders in the world for thousands of years.
Yama: Ahimsa( Non – Violence), Satya (Truth), Astheya ( Non-stealing), Bramhacharya ( Celibacy), Aparigraha ( Non-posessiveness)
Niyama; Soucha (Cleanliness), Santosha ( Happiness), Tapas ( Meditation and Contemplation), Swadhyaya ( Self Study), Ishwara Pranidhana ( Surrendering the self to the the supreme)
The above first two principles of yoga marga help for external and internal cleanliness of the individual and prepare him or her for the Higher life beyond the carnal desires. They will create a platform for selfless life.
The principles of philosophy and practices of any religion were taught to the humanity as a whole through the people who followed them.
Study the assimilating thoughts of every legend, visualize the best of human thoughts, practice the tested practices for the growth of the personal life in this world and beyond if there is a life.
We pay respects to Sri. Mahavira, the great Indian legend who taught the philosophy and became an example of practice in Higher life.
Indian Philosopher 