26.08.2017 ►JAINA ►Special Newsletter: Das Lakshana Day 1 @ HereNow4U

Federation Of Jain Associations in North America

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Jai Jinendra!

On the first day of Das Lakshana I wish you all sukh sata during this auspicious Parva. JAINA will be sending a quote, message and story on each Dharma daily. Uttam Kshama is the first Dharma among all 10 Dharmas.

Warm Regards,
Gunvant Shah
JAINA President
08-26-2017

UTTAM KSHAMA - ANIMATED STORY

QUOTE
'Kshama shatro ch mitre ch yatinamev bhushanam' - Hito
To pardon an enemy or a friend both, is the jewel of Yetis.

UTTAM KSHAMA
Khamemi Savve Jiva, Savve Jiva Khamantu Mi Mitti Me Savva bhuesu, Veram majjham na Kenai.

I forgive all living beings, May all souls forgive me, I am friendly terms with all, I have no animosity

toward any soul.

Acharya Pujya Pad Swamy described true nature of Kshama as, even when ill-natured persons heap abuses, ridicules, disgrace and beatings on the monks, who enter other regions to discover the cause of the real state of the body and indulge in twisting and torturing their body, the non-appearance of ill-will in these monks' minds is Kshama. This very thing has been said in this commenting remark of 'Niam-Saar'.

To remain stable in supreme equanimitous thoughts on getting threat of being killed by persons given to evil perception (Mithya-Drasthi) for no reason, considering oneself formless Parma Brahmais Uttama Kshama. The following story reveals this very thing.

There was a saint named Aek Nath. He had a vow of bathing in the Ganga daily. His ideology of forgiveness and renunciation was highly talked of in the city. One Pathan also used to live in that city. Once he thought to test the saint. His house was on that very road by which the saint used to go for bathing in the Ganga. The next day when Aek Nath was returning after having a bath in the Ganga, the Pathan chewing a betel leaf, spit down from above his rooftop. Its shower fell on the body of Aek Nath also; hence the saint went back to have a bath in the Ganga again. This process was repeated a hundred times on that one day. Ultimately when the saint was returning after his one hundred and one time bath, the Pathan came down from his house top and falling down at his feet, started weeping and begging pardon, for his mischief and ill-doing. The saint said, “I am grateful to you for your good deed, because daily I used to bathe in the Ganga only once, but today I am lucky to bathe a hundred and one times due to you.” Great men have great thoughts. They never give up their celestial virtues. Saint Aek Nath, who belonged to this noble category, took this ill deed of the Pathan as a virtuous deed and pardoned him. On this earth there is no other greater virtue than Kshama.

While describing the virtue of supreme forgiveness, the great poet Reidhu writes:

Utam karam tili yeh sari, utam kham jammi dahitari
Utam karam ryantriya-dhari, utam kham dugayi duh hari
Utam karam gun sehyari, utam khand munhivind payari
Utam karam bahuyan chintamani, utam khand sampjan thir mani
Utam karam mhnij syal janri, utam khand michhat tamo manri
Jahim asmtham dosu khamijayi, jahim asamathahm rn u rusijayi
Jahim akosanr vayanr sahijayi, jahim par dos nrjanri bhasijyi
Jahim cheyanrgunr chitdharijayi, tahim uttamkaram jjinekehjeyi
Iye utam karam juy nrr sur karag nruy kevalnranru lehvithuru
Huye siddnrirnjnru bhavduh bhajnru aganriyrisi pundgavjchiru

Which means,

Supreme forgiveness is pertinent in all the three worlds. It helps to sail across the ocean of birth and death; it enables us to be endowed with the three jewels i.e., Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct and safeguards us from a miserable plight.
Supreme forgiveness contributes to horde of virtues; it is dear to the nude Jain monks. Supreme forgiveness is like the crown jewel (Chintamani) for the learned scholars. Only persons with stable minds can acquire the virtue of supreme forgiveness.
Supreme forgiveness is held in high veneration by all great men. Forgiveness works like a dazzling jewel to dispel the darkness of wrong belief. The faults of the helpless persons are pardoned by a forgiver and he does not get enraged with them. Freedom from the growth of evil passions in the mind is forgiveness.
The persons, who without finding fault with others bear patiently the harsh words of the rogues, accepting them as the outcome of the evil actions of their previous births. They experience their own celestial virtues and are deeply engrossed in their self-realization have been termed by Lord Jinendra as gifted with supreme forgiveness.
Thus the persons gifted with supreme forgiveness, worshipped by Gods (Devas) and Vidyadharas (Divine beings skilled in various arts and sciences); and the innumerable holy saints who vanquish all worldly miseries on attaining the eternal omniscience and getting rid of the blemishes of karma have become enlightened souls (Siddha). I bow with reverence a thousand times at the holy feet of those supreme saints who are gifted with the virtue of forgiveness.