(B16)- Be like a mother!

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If you ever were a mother – well, no gender bias, it could as well apply to a father - you probably would better appreciate whatever I am going to discuss now. As a child grows, it goes through stages of gradual building up of its vocabulary. Most of what it says initially is gibberish and makes no sense at all. But does a mother ever complain? On the contrary she takes that with pride – her kid is at least attempting to say something. She finds meaning in those unintelligible words!

(B15)- Be an observer and not a Judge!

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Have you ever seen a rotten corpse? Just the thought of it may be repulsing to you. 

The nauseating stench, decomposed flesh, wriggling maggots, the hungry vultures tearing apart the rotten stuff… Can you picturize that? Horrible isn’t it?

(B14)- You speak like a drunkard!

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I am sorry to use such harsh words. But they are not my words, nor they are addressed to you. That is how the Brahma supporters admonish their Jain opponents. 

 

Let us continue our debate between the Brahma supporters and the Jain philosophers that we started in the previous episode. 

 

The Jain philosophers have a totally non violent approach even when they debate. They use their AnEkaantha Vaada to accept even the opponent’s view as one of the possible views. They don’t disagree with anyone. That is nice. But the Brahma supporters have problem even with that approach. This is how they refute the Jain views.

(B13)- You are right as well as wrong!

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How do you like it when someone says that to you? Is it meant to be a compliment or criticism? Many a times, even very nice ideas fall apart when it comes to practical application. 

 

Jainism, one of the very ancient Indian schools of philosophy, has many such puzzling things. With all high respect for the great masters of this school, I often see many contradictions in their way of thinking, however much they were well intended.