Education Corner: MetaFour

By: Umang Lathia, Rishi Zaveri, Sakhi Shah, and Suryaraj Jain

The idea of FourSquare comes from The Kingmaker, a Hindi-English quarterly magazine released by the Shree Ratnatrayee Trust under the guidance of Acharya Maharaj Sahebs in India. We hope it succeeds in providing different perspectives within unifying themes.

Please visit yja.org/msm and click on the tab next to “Q & A” in order to access previously published issues of The Kingmaker. A special thanks to Rishi Zaveri for compiling this resource!

Fire — Burning Away Your Kashay

While often seen as a damaging force, fire can also be considered a purifying force. Natural forest fires are one example, although they are perceived as solely harmful. They are known to be ecologically beneficial as they burn away invasive plant species and clear the ground for new growth. Forests are reborn in the aftermath of the fires, and native species are allowed to thrive again.

Similarly, we must light a forest fire within ourselves to burn away our inner enemies — our Kashays. These Kashays (anger, ego, deceit, and greed) are akin to invasive species, which prevent our intrinsic, native qualities from thriving. By burning them away, we make space for our innate qualities to grow and bloom. The less Kashays we have cluttering our minds, the more opportunity there is for virtues to take root and grow. In this way, anger gives way to compassion, greed to contentment, deceit to honesty, and ego to humility.

Now is the time to light the spark that will create this purifying fire. Analyze your life and find which Kashay has the strongest hold on you: perhaps it is ego about your intelligence, greed for the latest technology, anger at those who do not share your views or being deceptive to get what you want. Try to cultivate and implement the opposite qualities the next time such a scenario appears: humility when being praised, satisfaction with what you have, forgiveness for your offender, and openness of intent. Do this, and over time, you will see your Kashays progressively burn away.

Lightning — Finding Your Ground

Lightning often symbolizes destruction and mystery. It is typically associated with fear. However, lightning also symbolizes the ability to stay grounded.

When we see lightning strike, we often only observe the bolt that hits the ground. What we don’t see, however, are the different branches of the bolt that do not make it past the clouds.

This can relate to our journeys throughout life, where we are often presented with different distractions and paths. Each one takes us on a different route, but ultimately, it is important for us to maintain our priorities and remain “grounded” as we branch out. It is easy for our judgment to become obscure and clouded in a materialistic world, but it is essential to keep our priorities and values in mind so we do not lose sight of our identities — our souls.

To do this, we can incorporate meditation, self-introspection, and acts of service into our ways of life. For example, finding ways to volunteer and help those in need is a great way to be cognizant of our privileges, be thankful for all that we are given and give back to the community. This way, we do not branch away from our values, but instead, find our straightforward path to the ground.

Candle — True Knowledge

Candles illuminate a space with their bright flames. Before the modern incandescent bulb, candles were the primary source of light. Without that light source, one would be lost in the darkness, unable to recognize their surroundings.

Imagine a sealed room that has been in darkness for years and years. One small candle is sufficient to light the entire room and repel the darkness. Similarly, the knowledge provided by the Arihants can expel, not only years but lifetimes of darkness from our souls.

Similar to how a candle eliminates darkness, lessons learned from those with complete knowledge dispels our inner ignorance. In Jainism, these wise figures are Tirthankars, liberated souls who reinstated the Jain religion during their lifetimes and guided others on the path to Moksha (liberation). Mahavir Swami was the last Tirthankar to attain Moksha. As one works towards spiritual progress by following the teachings of Tirthankars, incorrect or impure thoughts begin to decrease.

Just as it is possible to light one candle with another, we must seek out those who have lit the candle of knowledge within themselves. Although we do not have direct access to Tirthankars anymore, we have access to their teachings and to those who have incorporated these teachings into their lives. We should all make the effort to learn from these masters, and brighten our future.

Firework — Every Soul’s Potential

Fireworks all have the potential to create beautiful designs in the sky. However, only some get to soar into the sky — what separates these fireworks from the rest? A dormant firework needs an initial spark, of course! Once lit, it can rise into the sky and achieve its full capabilities.

Our soul also aims to rise above its worldly existence and achieve its unique beauty of purity and calmness. Each and every single soul has this potential to reach Moksha. However, what we need to kickstart our journey is a spark, the same as a firework. In the case of our spiritual journey, this spark is often a guru or teacher, or a learning or realization that sets us on the right path.

In the case of Gautam Swami, this spark was Mahavir Swami’s visit to his town. Before, Gautum Swami (then named Indrabhuti) was doubtful of the soul’s existence. He angrily went to debate this with the Tirthankar, but upon hearing Mahavir Swami’s response, he began to reflect on the nature of the self. He then took Diksha, renouncing his worldly life to become a disciple of Mahavir Swami, and eventually achieved Moksha. The spark from the exchange had catalyzed Gautam Swami’s journey towards achieving his soul’s full potential.

Similarly, we should never doubt the potential of our soul to achieve Moksha; rather, we must keep searching for the spark to ignite our desires to attain the same bliss.