Jainism : Investing and saving our punya(s) by Nikhil Pattani

 This appeared in the leading global news portal and ezine On the dot.

Jainism is a lifestyle. A School going kids can describe the classy lifestyle today. The media and mediums to know about the classy lifestyle are at your fingertips. 

Well, let us look at a classy Mr. Shah & Family. He and his family lives in a posh sea view apartment in South Mumbai, owns couple of cars including a Merc and BMW. He and his family use high-end smart phones of around a lakh and half or may a little more and often changes the model in a year or so. He wears a stylish branded watch, perfumes, clothes, accessories and so does his family, His children study in most expensive and classy universities of the world and has got his business around the world with headquarters in Mumbai’s Posh commercial location. He ensures his family enjoy an international vacation twice a year and has got membership of major club house of SoBo. He drives his family to a super expensive 5-star restaurants for weekend or dinner when the cook at home is not available. His apartment is well equipped with everything that a common man cannot dream about. He has got some superficial religious values and commitments also (we are not judging anyone, its just a case study… All Mr. Shahs please excuse me 😊) He has temple in his society and strictly goes to the temple every day.  He has got few servants at home for domestic help, and I can keep writing about this character’s possessions for hours.  So, you have already peeped into a life of Mr. Shah now and I am sure many of you have already imagined it well. Let’s peep a little deeper, I am sure you will enjoy it like a film. He has his own mantra of leading a life, which could be an inspiration to so many like-minded. But seldom does he know about how and why he is enjoying these luxuries of life (Mortal life), and do you think Mr. Shah is bothered to know about it? He is busy planning his dinner or trip or party or business strategies. 

Now, lets look at the Bank balance, where Mr. Shah is about to completely be bankrupt, this bank is of Virtue that creates benefits (Punya). 

Example: he has a balance of Punya worth 50 million, and it can be utilised for anything that he wants it to be utilised for. He can use it to buy A Rolls Royce, or he can develop a hospital. Nothing is wrong or better here. He is free to utilise his amount of punya, but the consequences of this purchasing potential are very risky. First thing is that his punya balance is decreasing and if the Punya is not invested in the right direction, it would soon see the rock bottom in his account. 

There are means and mode to use LEAN method that most Corporates use in their business to minimise the expenses and increase the business efficiency. It is a way of optimising the available resources, with minimum efforts and waste of minimum energy. The same must be done to see that you live happily and use minimum Punya to save it for a better time ahead. 

Generating Punya is another way of increasing the Punya balance, but we are mostly busy in spending whatever is earned, as spending gives more relaxation against keep earning with efforts. And if it is about earning Punya, therefore it is even more difficult. 

However, Jainism shows a LEAN management system scripted by the liberated souls since infinite years in the past. To learn LEAN project management, there are in institutions and trainers who can help your company and employees learn this system and improve the economical state along with the enhancement of the quality product. They charge very heavy. Here, this knowledge is available with Jain Gurus with the investment of your time (That also increases the balance of your punya)  

Tirthankaras and Kevalgyani (The enlightened souls) have shown 18 Factories of Sins to avoid or minimise, which are like holes in your sailing human lifeboat. It brings in the water of sins and it pulls out your Virtues of benefit, earned out of immense efforts. These 18 Factories are as follows:

1. Pranatipaat : Violence ( Hinsa – Killings) We are all the part of ecological cycle of nature and we have to kill so many organisms and creatures to keep ourselves alive.  Earth, water, Light, Air, Vegetations, other creatures killed for our tastebuds, our habits, our entertainment, our health and for everything that’s good for us very selfishly, inconsiderately, greedily. 

2. Mrishavaad: Falsehood (Asatya). For our own selfish motives and not been able to give up on habits, or to survive in the business, we say that much of false statement or bribe not making any difference. Yes, here you may not experience the results, but the intelligence came to you as result of some punya somewhere, earned with lots of efforts. Now the utility of intelligence including language you use to communicate the falsehood is a result of your punya. So, think what you are earning for yourself while speaking false.

3. Adattaadaan: Stealing (Chori) Whenever you flick anything that does not belong to you is considered as stealing. Your ability to do so is a result of your intelligence and other organs that you use to steal anything, and that is again a result of punya that you got these organs to invest in a better way. So, utilise your funds of punya to the best of its capacity to regenerate another Punya.

4. Maithun: (Abramha- Sexual enjoyments) Purely, your body enjoys the every bit of punya you earned out of efforts of many birth, is lost in few mins for the sake of pleasure of the body which will be disposed off as soon as you die. This is a biggest cavity in our life draining our punya to a mainstream gutter of Paap. At least avoid unnecessary relations and interactions to save some punya, if you feel its importance.

5. Parigraha: (Accumulation of wealth etc.) Unnecessary accumulation of any kind of wealth or clothes, or properties or articles of utility etc. are purchased with money and money is only destined to those who has punya (think, why we all are not Adani and Ambani) and if you are going to use your hard earned punya on things which are not going to be utilised, it is waste of your good karma, that you hardly do. Think before buying another dress, do you really need it?

6. Krodh: (Anger) The Reason for anger could be anything, you could be right, wrong, neutral, but the fact is that any action requires energy and anger needs it more. Energy again is a produce of your good karma, and if you want to invest it getting angry, you can very well do it, its your property. But along with anger comes anxiety, weakness of body and mind. To tackle that anxiety, weakness, you may need emotional and physical support from your near ones and support also doesn’t come free, you must spend your Punya amounts. Think wise before jumping into the fire of anger!

To be continued............