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THE PATH OF FREEDOM AND DHARMA
(By Late Shri Jai Bhagwan Jain Advocate, Panipat
True Freedom and Dharma:-
In this transitory world,Dharrna (Truth) is the greatest prop for life. It is Dharma alone, which
leads life from misery to happiness, from discord to harmony; from darkness to light, from death to
immortality, from bondage to freedom and salvation. Therefore one should ever seek shelter of Dharma
(Truth).
This Dharma (Truth) is composed of three parts:-
1. Right Faith 2. Right knowledge 3. Right conduct.
Right faith forms its head Right knowledge its eyes and Right conduct its feet.
It is the unity of this trinity which makes Dharma is stable and efficatious prop,
a true way to true freedom. One who ever keeps the Right faith in view, ever looks
through Right knowledge to distinguish right from wrong, and moves on with Right conduct,
it sure to surmount all obstacles, and attain the desired goal of freedom and happiness.
not only spiritual but secular freedom also can be achieved and maintained though this
Dharma (Truth).
Right Faith:-
1. “I am He, the purest and glorious spirit, all loving all permeating, all transcending.
I am embodiment of peace, bliss and beautitude. I am aloof from matter, free from bondage
void of fatigue. Birth, age and death do not reside in me, they are all the vices of a physical body.
I am free. I am eternal. I am God in embryo ever seeking, ever moving towards perfection.” It is this
sort of faith which is termed the Right faith.
2. It is this faith, which gives zest to life, fills it with hope and enthusiasm, makes it
gay and buoyant. It is most needed for the betterment and upliftment of life. Therefore ever
try to attain the Right faith. To be right believer , one must give up all vanities of caste and
colour, race and creed, tribe and nation.
3. To develop this self conception of Godhood must practise daily mediations or auto-suggestions
in morning and evenings.
Right Knowledge:-
1. For the wise, only that knowledge is the Right knowledge which endows sanctity of life,
establishes oneness of life, which frees it from desires, liberates it from woes and worries ,
gives it hope and courage, and fills it with peace and happiness.
2. This knowledge comes from the knowledge of self. Self is the abode of God; it is the
source of all knowledge, source of all truths, sources of all ideals. Self in fact in
the highest truth, highest purpose, highest good.
3. To acquire this knowledge, one must seek company of saints and scriptures, and must
practise communication with self.
Right conduct:-
1. “As you sow, so shall you reap”. Good deeds give birth to good fruits, and bad deeds to bad fruits.
Whatever pains and miseries, we daily meet in life, they are, after all, the fruits of our own
misdeeds. To avoid them we should ever reform our deeds.
2. If we want to see a world of love and righteousness around us, we should cultivate these
virtues within ourselves. Self reform is the best reform.
3. The conduct which is disliked by us, is disliked by others also, therefore we should never
indulge in bad conduct.
4. Love to all, obeisance to the righteous, mercy to the poor and tolerance to the preserve
are signs of good conduct.
5. There is a fundamental unity of life. This unity cannot be avoided by artificial divisions
based on caste, colour, creed and nationality. All are closely interrelated, influencing each
other by their needs and deeds. The good of each lies in the good of all.
6. Man is the living temple of God. Man’s service is the best form of worship.
7. The main cause of all evils is greed and egoism, and the main cause of all virtues is
magnanimity & equanimity . To replace evils by virtues is only way of progress.
8. To attain enduring peace, and inspiring purity, the way of life should always be pure
and peaceful.
Seven commendable ways of life:-
1. Ahimsa: All want to live and none wants to die. Therefore the best way of life is “to
live and let live”.
2. Truthfulness: - Truth is God and God is the good of life . Good is dear to all, but
only when conveyed in a sweet way. Sweet tongue is the greatest be friender in life , while
harsh and abusive language is the greatest enemy. Sweet word costs nothing while it pays
everything. Therefore one should ever speak good and sweet.
3. Non-Stealing:- In the physical plane, it is wealth which is the sustainer of life. One,
who steals your wealth, steals your life. Thus stealing is no less; a sin than Himsa. It should
be foreraken in all its forms of theft or cheating, extortion or exploitation.
4. Non-Hoarding:- However valuable wealth may be as a means of sustenance, it is no cure for
greed. Greed can be pacified only by contentment and not by wealth. Hoarding of wealth for greed
is to deprive others of their needs. It is a great sin against humanity. It is no less than
stealing. The best way of life is to limit our wealth to our need , and our needs to a simple
healthy living. It is through restricted economy alone, that plenty and prosperity can be brought
within the reach of all.
5. Self-Control (Brahmcharya): A charioteer is doomed to disaster who losses control of his horses,
so in the walk of like, one is sure to meet sorrow, lets loose his senses. Slavery of senses is the
worst form of slavery. The conquest of senses is the best conquest. It is the conquest of various ills
and vices, of various troubles and diseases. It is the conquest of ‘Cupit’. The greatest tempter. It is
the conquest of the population problem. It is the conquest of half the battle of life. Therefore we
should always cultivate the habit of self-control.
6. Tolerance:- This world of ours belongs of various people having different faiths, different
practices, different thoughts and different languages, but all this differences is only phenomenal.
It is merely an outcome of the geographical and historical influences under which we have lived.
It is merely a product of the psychological and ethical view points, with which we have learned
to look. Behind this vast sea of differences, there lies a fundamental unity of life, which
endows us all with a similarly of purpose, similarly of feelings and similarity of expression.
Truth is not a privilege of the few it is a common heritage of all. All are astir under its
inspiration. All are animated with its vision. All are on a move to its destination.
So we must be tolerant towards all, ever trying to understand their view points, weigh their
values and combine them into a coherent whole. This tolerance is the only method of bringing
unity amidst diversity, harmony amidst discord and peace amidst broils. It is the only way by
which human life evolves itself to higher and higher truths.
7. Purity of Diet:- “Pure in diet, pure in mind.” Pure diet is a produce of Ahimsa, so it breeds Ahimsa in mind. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals and milk are all articles of pure food; for they are easily available from stores of the bountiful nature without doing any harm or paid to any living being. They are also the natural diet of man, for they are so consistent with his graceful nature, digestive organs and dietary habits.
Meat, eggs, fish and wine have nothing in common with the above articles. They are all hideous and disgustful things. They are all products of cruelty and Himsa. They are not the natural food of man. To take them as food is a revolt against nature and religion, a evolt against conscience and God. They are all harmful to body, mind and soul. One should ever abstain from taking them as food.
It is always a pure and simple vegetarian diet which gives a pure and healthy life.
This is the path of freedom for an ideal citizen to follow.
