Enlightened Consciousness
Religion for an Indian, is experience or attitude of
mind-principles tested in life. It is not an idea, a bare intellectual
exercise or a mere logical conviction. It is rather an enlightened
consciousness, a power, a spiritual force which can be felt not only by
the person who possesses the same but also by all those who come in his
contact. It is, as Dr.S.Radhakrishnan puts it :-"Intuition of Reality (Brahmanubhava),
Insight into Truth (Brahma Darsana), Contact with the Supreme (Brahma
Samsatkara) and Direct apprehension of Reality (Brahma Saksatkara).
All religious systems of India have emphasized that
language and logic are incapable to reveal to use the real dimensions of
the Reality, apprehended only by experiencing it. For this reason all the
Indian systems have considered philosophy and the actual lining of their
philosophical principles as the integral and inseparable parts of the
ultimate knowledge. They have, therefore, provided humanity not only with
metaphysical theories but also with a mechanism to operate them and have
exhorted people to test these theories in practical life.
Jaina seers, in conformity with their Indian tradition,
have pointed out the methodology by resorting to which the five principles
discussed in the foregoing chapter can be put into practice.
