Shrimat Vijyasandsuri
85. Question:
What effects have the dead religions of the world upon mankind at present?
Answer:
The Jaina, Veda or Mimānsak, Naiyāyik, Sānkhya, Pātanjal and Buddha religions are counted among the oldest religions of India. Now all the above religions excepting Buddhism have their existence in India. All of these excepting Jainism are almost dying. In other countries where the Dharma of the Karma-Kāndi Mimānsakās has disappeared, its effect is that people make sacrifices by killing animals and in order to please God make offerings of skin, flesh, and blood by killing bullocks etc. as is described in Tauret and Quran etc. Also the book named Iliad says in its account of war that Hector and other great warriors made sacrifices to gods by killing different kinds of animals. All this appears to be the remnant of Mimānsak religion. The Sufism among Mohammedans appears to be the relic of Vedantism. In India some people of the Brahman caste etc. have given up Hinsak-yagn and avoid flesh eating and drinking etc.; this appears to be the after-effect of Jainism and Buddhism. In other countries also the existence of virtuous acts such as mercy etc. appears to be the remnant of Jainism and Buddhism,
86. Question:
What position does God of the whole universe hold according to every religion in human progress? God is just. According to every religion, God is the Lord of the whole universe. Then how is it that notwithstanding the differences in human progress in different people in different countries, there is no contradiction among them with regard to God's nature of being just. How do the different religions account for God on this point.
Answer:
All the different religions believe that God is just and this is true because God naturally possess the quality of nyaya-shilatā (being just). Cut the belief of the people that God like Government officials administers justice to all the living beings is against the shāstras of the Jain religion and is also against logical conclusions. For instance a Baniya (trader) possess 1000 gold mohurs and for that reason he feels himself very happy. Then a thief comes and takes away all those mohurs. On the Baniya's making a protest the thief wounds his body by a sword. Thereupon the Baniya keeps quiet and the thief goes away with the money and feels hitmself very happy. Now supposing that the Baniya was feeling very happy by reason of possessing 1000 gold mohurs, that this was given to him by just God in consequence of his doing good actions, that in consequence of his doing sinful acts God punished him in this way that the thief took away gold mohurs and wounded the Baniya by a sword. But the question arises whether God made him suffer the consequences with or without a nimit (means). He cannot be said to suffer the consequences without any nimit because in the Baniya suffering the consequences of his bad actions the thief and sword etc w7ere the nimit. Now if it be taken for granted that God puts all causes into motion, then God would be proved to cause others to do evil acts such as theft etc. If God does not put nimits into motion then God cannot be proved to be just and the giver of reward and punishment. If without peoples' doing good or bad acts, God gives reward or punishment to them or creates many in royal family, healthy in life, in very comfortable circumstances, satisfies all desires etc., creates some miserable from pregnancy during the whole life, mentally and physically in pain, hungry, suffering from chronic diseases; no intelligent, man would call such God to be just, merciful, impartial, having an equal eye upon all. If God gives comfort or pain to all living beings according to their good or bad actions, then this would be proved to be eternal and God would be proved to be unjust and the faults such as theft, immorality, speaking falsehood etc. would be imputed to Him.
