Download Hindi Font
THE TRIPLE JEWELS
lE;Xn'kZu Kku pfj=k;Z eks{k ekxZ
(Tatwarta sutra 1.1)
A combined acquisition of, Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct , called Triple Jewels,
leads toNirvana, the ultimate goal of a true Jian’s spiritual life.
This very idea is expressed in Ish Upanishad in terms of lE;d~ J¼k (Right Faith), lE;d~ Kku
(Right Knowledge) and lE;d~ cãp;Z(Right Spiritual Conduct).
In The holy Bible the idea is reproduced as under “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
----(Gospel of St. John Ch. XIV, 6)
Which finds its repetition in the words.---(Gospel of St. John)
Compare this with the Good thought Good words and Good deeds of Zoraostrianism, an idea expanded in the eight Fold Path of Budhism in:-Right views, Right Aspirations, Right speech, Right conduct, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right Rapture or Mental Tranquillity.
Right Faith. An old Jain work defines Samyak Darshan as ultimate faith in the Tathvarthas i.e. in the true signifance of the natural of things. This gained when one realises the true importance of seven tattvas which are Jiva, Ajiva, Asrava, Bandha, Samvara, Nirjara and Moksha.
Nobody can deny the necessity of having Right Faith. Mohmmed revealed that he was God’s messenger and Christian’s proclaimed that Jesus was God’s son simply to instil faith in the hearts of his followers.
Imagine now an over-intelligent boy joining a school and on the very day objecting to call the alphabet letter A as A. Why should this particular piece of writing be not called B or C? The teacher in such a case can naturally council partience and if the boy listens and also adheres with patience he is surely agree to what his teacher taught him, was right, what is desirable is that a pupil should give due thought in the choice of a preceptor of a right type, but having chosen he should have complete faith or proper conviction that what the Guru says is nothing but true and the defect, if any, lies with the pupils understanding that he must patiently strive to understand the teachings. Hafiz beautifully expressed the idea when he says,
Bema sajjadda rangin kun, gart piri mughan goyad keh salik bekhabar nabwadze, raho rasini-i-manzil ra.
If the preceptor or so bids thee do dye the prayer that one, who hath already trevorsed the path cannot be unawares of the pitfalls.
Right Faith or proper conviction instils a will Power and has psychological effect which prompts the faithful in actually following the prescribed path leading to set ideal.
Faith is like the man at the helm always directing and guiding the barge of being in storm and calm the looked for Heaven of Freedom. He, whose mind is not chastened by Right Faith, is like the rudderless ship that is soon dashed to pieces against rocks for want of proper guidance and control.
“What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe or have faith that ye recieved them, and ye shall have them.” Said Jesus.
The power of faith is again illustrated in the parable:
19. “And when he saw a big tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing thereon, but leaves only and said unto it, let not fruit grow on the thee hence forward for ever. And presently the big tree whithered away.”
20. And when the disciple saw it, they marvelled saying how soon is the fig tree withered away!
21. Jesus answered and said unto them; very I say unto you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not do this whichis done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and be though cast into the sea, it shall be done.”
---(St. Mathew XXI 19, 20, 21)
Christ invariably asked those who ;came to him to be cured of their ailments and deformities if they believed ? and never failed to tell that after the cure that it was their own faith which had brought about the miraculous results.Right Knowledge: Right knowledge is the detailed knowledge of the process of self-realisation. It is like the chart, which is intended to furnish an accurate description of the path to be adopted to steer clear of them. As no one who has not provided himself with such a chart even expected to take his boat successfully across the ocean, so is not the soul that is not provided with Right Knowledge ever likely to land in safety in Nirvana.
“One without knowledge cannot know God.” Was what Sadi of Shiraz said. “No theyself” was the motto of Socrates. “ From ;knowledge ,” he said , “come virtue and goodness; from ignorance comes all that is evil.” He argued that no man willingly chooses evil, he does evil out of ignorance; therefore the chief aim of life should be to acquire knowledge. And after two thousand years of civilization the world today recognises that Socrates was right.
Right Conduct: It Right Faith is the properly directed rudder and Right Knowledge the chart of navigation in the ocean of life, Right Conduct is the force which actually propels the barge of Being heavenwards. Without doing the right thing at the right moment, no desired results can be achieved.
Right Faith signifies a belief in the preceptorship of true saints engaged in the eradiction of their lower nature. It is a faith in the potential Divinity of one’s soul.
Right Knowledge means the proper understanding of the precepts, the scriptures, tenets and principles of religion, while Right Conduct is actually to follow the principles believed and known to be right.
Note that Dharma is a way of life and not a view of life, it is something practical ;and not simply theoretical.
If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought; paid fllows him as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. Ifa man speaks or acts with a pure though; happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.
St. Paul also puts it very strongly, “Be not deceived , God is not mocked Whatever a man soweth that shall be reaped.”
Think it over
Think that day lost whose low descending Sun
Views from thy hand, no worthy action done.
---(Anon)
