3.3. Knowledge and The Supreme Being

If we are acquainted wholly with a particular prayer before reciting it, and when the prayer is not a eulogy of some great personality but our humble reverence to those humans, whom we can become like; the prayer holds a different meaning altogether.

When there is no discrimination between god and us, only that we are yet to achieve that state through our free-will, by using our best of rational faculty along with intuition and gaining right knowledge.

‘The first line of the most famous Jain prayer is Namo Arihantanam, a simple phrase that means: ‘I pay my significant regard to any living individual who has vanquished his inward adversaries. Who have achieved the peak of profound advancement using both reason and instinct. This prayer is a reminder of human probability. Every single one of us can possibly overcome oneself, to transcend our 'lower nature' and it's fantasies and reach our 'true nature' or internal identity. Such potential outcomes are available to all, altogether regardless of the religion, standing or societal position of the person. It is about knowledge and seeing as opposed to simple acknowledgment of acquired precepts. Most importantly, Jainism is focused upon every individual's ability to think, learn and find, and after that to apply that information to individual conduct, needs and qualities, and associations with others (not only humans).’^[1]

Isn’t it immensely wonderful! The freedom and sense of equality Jain philosophy allows is beyond measures. No blind following of anyone, one is free to explore on his own, to raise questions, and to find their answers using one’s own logic, no hurry, but a patient quest towards self-introspection. No religion based prejudice, caste does not matter at all, what required is–right perception towards anything and right knowledge which together motivate one to adopt right conduct.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

LJ. pp. 23