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Generally, the perception about idol worship is that since we are lay persons and our daily life comprises of all activities involving himsha, it may not be wrong to get involved in activity with himsha for religious purposes. Pratima serve a guidance to achieve samyag gyan, darshan and charitra. It is also felt by a few, who have expressed, that dravya pooja is not an inevitable pre-requisite of moksha. (1) In the Acharang it is found that the essence of teaching is not to harm, hurt, trouble or kill any jiva. (This teaching is applicable on belief plane to all samyagdrishti but on action plane to sadhu-sadhvi.) Jiva does savadya/samaramb kriya for four purpose (i) for continuation life ,(ii) for Ego,maan,pratishtha etc, (iii) for getting relieved from birth and death cycle and (4) for getting relieved from unhappiness i.e. dukh. A sadhu is supposed to know this and get detached from this. (This teaching is applicable on belief plane to all samyag-drishti and on action plane to all sadhu-sadhvi.) (2) In the agams wherever, there are duality of any results, it is found that the duality is found in the terms of either or. Like the bandh of karma occurs or does not occur. It is termed as bhajana in agamic terms. If it is only one sided result or certainity it is called niyama (This is found in Bhagawati sutra). It is found that pranati pat, is found to be associated with ashrav and a-pranatipaat (Ahimsha) is associated with only samvar. There is no bhajana or Duality of ashrav/samvar or other tattva found in it. This can be found from reference of Anga literature given in earlier mail. The definitions given in Thanang sutra are the universal truth. They are not related to only ascetic life etc. (3) It is accepted that the life style of shravak is full of himsha. But the question is whether it is appropriate to justify himsha in activity which we term as religious. In the Uvavai sutra, the agar dharma is defined as 12 vrat of shravak. The twelve anuvrat of shravak comprises of 5 anuvrat, 3 gun vrat, and 4 shiksha vrat. Names are Based on avashak sutra. The concept in the anuvrat is to restrict ones dravya and bhav activities and desires. For ex. If one is having a property of say 5 crores, and then we can have 3 options i.e. to restrict the property beyond 6 crores, 5 crores (as it is ), or donate 1 crore and restrict to 4 crore. This is just an ex. There is no direction to grow ones earning from 5 to 6. The excess amount is kept by the desire of the person who is renunciating. Agam only indicates that unrestricted amount is a source of unlimited ashrav and restricted amount is a source of limited asrav. Thus it appears that the intention is only to restrict the major ashrav activities. The first five anuvrat is to restrict the five ashrav like himsha, a-satya, a-datta-dan (theft), a-brahma-charya, and parigraha. (this are found in Thanang sutra.) The next set of three gun-vrat comprises of (6) Disha-pariman vrat Restriction on ashrav from different directions of loka, (say 100 km, 1000 km. Or 5000 km. As per ones strength for life time. ) (7) Up-bhog-pari-bhog pariman vrat Restriction of ashrav from different items of consumptions (like clothing, vegetables, fruits, vehicles etc total 26 items major (from within the restricted disha in the sixth vrat). (8) Anarth-dand tyag vrat -Restriction of un-necesssary activities (it is still suksma than 7 th vrata. ) (9) The first shiksha vrat of shravak is Samayik which is tyag of Savadhya yog for 48 minutes or more based on capacity of ones karan (doing, making others do and appreciation of doing/others doing) and yog (mind, speech and action) (10) The 10 vrat is restriction of items of consumptions which were kept open in the 7 th vrat for life time to a very small quantity for a days use. (if one decided to eat only five sweets in a life time , he restricts to eat only one sweet not more than 1 kg for the day. (11) There is renunciation of savadhya yog for a night or for a day and night. (12) this is observed with sharing a part of our own food with shraman and giving for gochari/bhiksha. The whole idea in elaborating this is to make emphasis on restriction of ashrav. (many may be aware of this vrats). This vrats are found in Upashak dasha ang agam. This is a very rational and systematic movement from sthul to sukshma form (macro to micro form ) of restriction. (but not encouragement of any ashrav) It may be mentioned that first shiksha (teaching) vrat also starts with restriction of savadhya yog. (4) For the samyagdrishti gunasthan, there is great importance given to the guna of Anukampa or Compassion. This is shown in Gyata-dharma-katha ang agam, Prashna-vyakaran sutra ang agam. They are also found in granths like Pravachan sarodhhar, and Sambodh prakaran by Haribhadhra suri, etc. This anukamppa applies to all the jiva of chh kaya as per me. This guna sprouts & grows out of astha- belief of jin darshan. (5) As per bhagawati sutra the Shravak is shown as well versed with the knowledge of nine tattva in detail. (6) In my understanding, essential difference between 4 th gunasthan, 5 th gunashtan , 6 th and 7 th gunasthan is like this. In the belief plane, all the three will have similar understanding (of nine tattvas) (it can be of varying degree due to varying kshyop-sham -and by one account asamkhya permutations are possible.), in the action plane the jiva in 4 th gunasthan is non active, the jiva of 5th gunasthan is partially active and jiva of 6 th gunashthan is fully active in ahimsha by pachchh-khan but inactive with consciousness. However in the 7th gunasthan, he/she is active with pachchhkhan as well as conscousness (a-pramatta awastha) . The belief plane arises due to kshyop-sham of Darshan Mohaniya karma and the action plane arises due to kshyop-sham of Charitra Mohaniya karma. Kshyop-shap is made up of two words kshya is total destruction of karma and upasam is partial destruction of karma . (that is why jiva of 4 th gunasthan are also eligible for thirthankar naam karma bandha like Krishna vasudev inspite of no restriction but strong belief of tattva . Jiva with Vasudev designation does not rise above 4 th gunasthan and it may be mentioned that vasudev have a life style with very great degree of arambh /himsha leading to narak-ayu as a rule.) (7) As a offshoot- just as we would not like to have a-satya, chori, a-hrahmacharya in our religious sector ( though they exist in our other sphere of routine life and are to be restricted by vrats ) then similarly we need not admit himsha in the religious compartment of our life. What I mean is, it appears more appropriate to define ashrav as ashrav and samvar as samvar. It appears more appropriate to have our religious activity as nirvadhya. (8) It may be worth doing little "experiments with a-himsha" with faith. If our arihant bhagwan did not advocate himsha, I will not do myself, make other do, appreciate himsha by my mind, speech and action even if for 5 minutes a day. This itself is bhaav- samayik (in nishchaya naya ). This only brings us nearer to the heart of teaching by arihants and nearer to "namo arihantanam" which we say daily. (this should lead to finally dravya,kshetra,kaal and bhaav samayik in totallity ) (9)
There is no denial to bhaav pooja. Even ganadharji, does bhaav pooja of arihant in
loggas sutra/ Chatur-vishanti-stava part of avashyak sutra. . I feel that the
following of steps/path by Pooja is being done because of presence of guna. Arihant is pujya because of guna. Thus dravya puja is trying to deeply understand the guna which makes one pujya, One of the approach can be Shadhdhhami ( I believe in nigrantha pravachana ), Pattiami, ( I keep priti or liking for nigrantha pravachana ) Ro-e-mi ( I keep ruchi- great liking for the nigrantha pravachana ) Phasemi (I touch the nigrantha pravachana by my action ) Palemi ( I follow the nigrantha pravachana in my life ) ana-e anu-palemi (anupalan of agya or obeying the agya of Arihant (This are bhaav of avshyak sutra/ Upasak dasha ang agam.) Kshetra pooja- This are being done in entire 2 and half dwipa of tirchha looka by sangha by following the guna as per the capacity of ones strength (extrapolated from uvavai sutra ). And in asamkhya dwipa-samundra by shravak and shravika in the tiryanch paryaya who are also asamkhya in number (based on bhaav of bhagawati sutra) This also extends to Sarvarth-sidhha dev lok in upper loka due to presence of samyag drishti deva, and 7 th narak due to presence of samyagdrishti narki jiva there. Kaal pooja This pooja is being done by sangha in tri kaal in past, present and future (belief of continuity of jain religion based on bhaav of uvavai sutra). Bhaav pooja This is to be done with mind, with chitta, with leshya, with adhyavashaya, with upyog in the true meaning of nigrantha pravachana, with bhavna and contemplation - (derived and extrapolated from anuyog dwar sutra). The idol worship of Tirthankar is considered important in the path of liberation since it reminds us the true nature of soul and its ultimate aim. Just like Eklavaya of Mahabharata learnt the archery, even better then Arjun, by worshiping the idol of Draunacharya and practicing it, when he was not allowed to study in the gurukul. He ascribe his mastery of the skill to Draunacharya only. Similarly when Arhants are not directly available for the worship, their idol can be very helpful. Further idol worship also pacify one's passions and strengths one's belief of dharma. This also leads to inflow of meritorious karma naturally although they are undesirable. We always keep the photo or some memento of our ideal, who we like to become, similarly if we like to become god, then praying their idol is important. I also feel that basis of rejecting the worship of idol and ritual is that just the worshiping the idol and indulging in ritual will not give you Moksha. For this we have to on our own do the efforts and shun the attachment and aversions. They are the source of inspiration and not giver of Moksha. Further these activities causes the inflow of karma although meritorious which is not desirable as this cause the bondage to the mundane world. Therefore we have been asked by venerable acharyas to leave them also and just immersed in the our soul only. Following is my understanding on the above topic of idol worship and Anekant. 1. The teachings of Mahavira Swami as per swetambar tradition is organized in the form of agam literature. In the swetambar tradition, the idol worshippers accept 45 agams (sacred texts) and the non idol worshippers (Sadhumargi/sthanakwasi and others ) accept 32 Agams. The contents of 32 are equally accepted by both the branches. The eleven anga literature forms a part of 32 Agam literature. 2. The Anga literature defines the Jiva tattva in a very systematic and detailed way apart from detail mention in other Agam literature. The jiva tattva is described with various forms (Paryaya) in various gati/jati/Kaya etc. looking at these forms through different perspectives. Jain darshan stands apart from all other darshans (philosophy) by the vividness of different descriptive forms of life which is not found in any other darshan. 3.
There is equally vivid description of Ahimsa in jain agamic texts. Ahimsa is shown as
heart of Jinvani/ Jin pravachan. This Ahimsa is given an utmost importance. (a)
There is hinsa of Prithvi kaya in the form of making of temples/idols. Anekant
is thus a very noble and unique pillar of Jain philosophy. It gives a path of looking
at same dravya / tattva with different contexts through different frame of reference to
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