Ourselves
By Unexhibited
Summary
The editorial titled "Ourselves" serves as an introduction to the issue and emphasises the central Jaina doctrine of karma and self-responsibility. The article opens with a verse from the Bhāvanādyātriṃśat which states that a being experiences the good and bad effects of actions he himself performed; if it were possible to reap the fruits of another's deeds one's own efforts would be meaninglesshttps://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=nirarthakam%20tada%20,As. This assertion underlines the Jaina view that there is no external saviour: an individual is solely responsible for his bondage and liberation. The editorial explains that the inexorable law of karma underpins the cycle of birth and rebirth and is accepted across the major Indian philosophical systemshttps://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=in%20the%20words%20of%20Muni,though%20karma%20accounts%20for%20the. The soul is bound by karma because of passions such as attachment, aversion and delusion; liberation therefore requires the cessation of all karmic activity through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Unlike the Sankhya view which regards the soul as untouched by karma, the Jainas hold that the soul performs karma and experiences its resultshttps://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=finite%2C%20unhappy%20and%20embodied%20state,According%20to%20the%20Jainas%2C%20the. The article rejects the Nyāya notion of a supervising God, affirming instead that karma itself automatically brings about its consequenceshttps://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=finite%2C%20unhappy%20and%20embodied%20state,According%20to%20the%20Jainas%2C%20the. The editorial also delineates the psychological factors responsible for karmic bondage: wrong belief (mithyā darśana), lack of self-restraint (avirati), carelessness (pramāda), passions such as anger, pride and greed (kaṣāya) and the activities of mind, speech and body (yoga)https://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=bondage%20of%20the%20soul%20is,and%20yoga%20%28activities%20of. These underlying dispositions generate further negative emotions such as lust (rati), attachment (rāga), aversion (dveṣa) and stupefaction (moha)https://jainqq.org/explore/520013/3#:~:text=bondage%20of%20the%20soul%20is,and%20yoga%20%28activities%20of. The editors urge readers to cultivate vigilance and self-discipline to curb these tendencies. Elsewhere in the issue the doctrine of karma is explained at length by Muni Guṇaratnavijaya; this editorial serves as a preface to those discussions. In its closing portion the article quotes lines from Longfellow’s poem “A Psalm of Life” to illustrate that each individual should act with earnestness, trust in the moral order of the cosmos and leave behind footprints that inspire others. By blending scriptural quotations with a modern literary poem the editorial seeks to connect ancient Jaina philosophy with contemporary sensibilities. It reminds readers that the karmic law is not deterministic but offers scope for moral progress; one’s present actions can purify past karma and shape a better future. Thus the article sets the tone for the issue, encouraging readers to introspect, practise self-control and embrace the principle of personal responsibility.
Conclusion
The editorial’s conclusion is that the doctrine of karma is not merely a metaphysical theory but a practical ethic. Since individuals reap the fruits of their own deeds, they must cultivate right belief, knowledge and conduct to dissolve karmic bondage and attain liberation. The article emphasises that passions and careless actions are the real chains that bind the soul and only self-restraint and vigilance can break them. By quoting Longfellow it adds a humanistic touch, urging readers to live purposefully and leave behind an uplifting example. Responsibility, effort and compassion therefore form the core message of this opening piece.