Section 11 To Section -13Jainworld2022-08-26T10:55:06-06:00

Section 11 To Section -13

Be Human to Herald World Peace

* K. G. Rajan

1) Preface :

The world to day, is in the peak of crisis of multificious nature. Fear and suspicion stalks mankind from all sides of the world. Man is deprived of his natural state of joy, laughter and sleep. Uncertainty and anxiety rules the heart of man. Right from grass-roots level, i. e. from family, society, nation and world, there is a cry for peace and security. Also in the name of religious supremacy, men are fighting each other.

In the past ages, i.e. ï¿½ Treta Yuga ï¿½ and ï¿½ Dwapara Yuga ï¿½ bad elements were few and by eliminating them peace could be restored. But in the present age, when almost entire mankind is reeling under hatred, envy, fear and conceit, it is meaningless if all are to be destroyed; therefore only through transformation, the mankind could be set right. This transformation has to start from individual which in turn should spread to family, village, town, city, country and world. Therefore it becomes our bounden duty to participate in such a sacred task of contributing our mite to world peace.

Definition of Peace:

Let us analyse the world ï¿½peaceï¿½ Each one, according to his perception defines it. Some in broader out look, define it as an intervening time between two major wars or calamities. Some in narrow outlook feel that they have peace when their ambitions are fulfilled. Some confine it to the absence of anger. Some feel that peace is restored when some worldly decisions that have been troubling them are solved. Some feet it is a state of mind, which changes according to likes and dislikes. Whatever the definition may be, one thing is common, which is human being. So, the remedy is to search within human beings in which mind plays a major role.

3) The Mind:

It is therefore necessary to study a bit about human mind. The mind can be defined as the origin of thoughts and desires. The mind only grasps the objects and it depends on intelligence for discriminatory powers. The enjoyment derived through senses pleases the mind, and develops a desire for these objects. If one desire is fulfilled another desire crops up; and if the desires are negative, such desires become unsatiated. For example, desire for wealth and fame are unsuitable. The mind can be compared to a monkey which is always restless by nature. The more you goad the monkey the more it strays and when you neglect and do not pay attention to it, it stops its pranks. So also when our mind wanders, do not pay attention to it, but do not surrender your body to( it ) the mind. Then the mind returns back to its position. We should see that we do not yield to all the desires that sprout in mind.

Now let us look at this piece of cloth. In reality this is a bundle of threads woven together. If we examine it more carefully, we can say it is cotton. The first stage of cotton became threads and then cloth. Suppose we want to get rid of this cloth, then either we have to throw away the cloth or we can remove the threads, one by one, and the cloth disappears.

Mind does not have any specific form. It is a bundle of desires. These desires themselves come from the thoughts of our mind. These thoughts can be compared to cotton. Then the 3 stages are thoughts as cotton, desires as threads and desires constituting the mind is cloth in this analogy. Because we are filling the mind, in fact, we are constituting the mind putting by together a large number of desires, a variety of desires. The mind filled with so many desires is giving us a lot of trouble. On the other hand if the desires are controlled, tamed and channelled in a proper way, transformation of mankind begins.

4) Transformation through Human Values :

By merely possessing human body, we do not become human beings, unless we possess the human qualities. For example, to give warmth and light is the quality of fire. If it does not give them, then it can be called cynder and not fire. So also, if a human being is devoid of human qualities, such as Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Peace, Nonviolence, Forgiveness, Tolerance, Compassion etc. etc. he cannot be called a human being; he is only sub-human. All religions exert to adhere to human values. The same doctrine is explained by all religions. Slightly modifying according to place and time these religions have appeared.

The word ï¿½Religionï¿½ is derived from Latin word ï¿½ RELIGERE ï¿½ which means to bind. To bind with what and whom ? To bind humanity with the chord of Love. On the contrary, it fosters envy and hatred. The reason is that none is practising religion properly.

Apart from familiarising oneï¿½s own religion, the similarities which are prevailing in other religion also have to be taught, so that children could see the unity underlying in all religions. Then there cannot be a question of hatred for other religions. Because of misconstrue and misunderstanding such violenceï¿½s take place in the name of religion.

5 ) Conclusion :

So, more emphasize should be given to human values, right from infancy, at home and in school. Moral education should be imparted right from the 1st standard and at every step by competent teachers. When a child fails in such values, it should be corrected. For this, teachers and parents themselves should set an example by following human values. When a child finds that parents and teachers are setting bad examples i. e. behaving contrary to what they teach, it develops the attitude that such values are only meant for preaching and could be conveniently set aside.

As I observe the morality started sliding down since three and a half decades and during this period, children, by observing the behaviour of family-members at home and society outside, have developed a belief that every thing is money and if one wants to have a happy and peaceful life, one should accumulate wealth.

This misconception-wrong notion that happiness and peace are proportionate to wealth has to be eradicated from the minds of children. At the most wealth brings a bit of comfort. But peace comes from happiness. Happiness comes from contentment ( Satisfaction ). Satisfaction comes when desires are controlled and tamed.

Moreover, the pattern of education should be changed. At present education is considered as a means for living. It is being used as a begging bowl. It should be understood that education is for life. Education should foster confidence, humility and morality.

There is no need of special skill in contributing to world peace. If we uplift ourselves from sub-human nature to human nature and follow the doctrine ï¿½ Do unto others as you should want others to do unto you ï¿½, then we would sufficiently be contributing to world peace.

Are Religions Barring

In the World Peace ?

* J. E. Rohekar

The topic for my discussion today is, ï¿½Are religions barring in the world peace?ï¿½ Quite an intriguing and a burning question indeed ! Open any newspaper or a periodical today, or rummage through the chronicles of history; you shall sight umpteen number of events, happenings and incidents where one particular religion played a major role in a war, in the complete destruction of the tranquility of the society in particular and of the world in general !

Every religion in the world has peace as its base. God or Super soul, when he created this world, wanted his offspringï¿½s, we human beings, to lead a very harmoniously peaceful life. Thus, every scripture begins in peace, advances thru battles and carnages reaching the climax in complete chaos until some Messiah arrives and sets the order, the order of Peace. This, ultimately, means, we are born in Peace and shall end in peace. Peace should run thru our veins and we should breathe peace. Peace should be our watch-ward. We should dream of peace and should practise peace. Every pore of our body should sprout peace and one should learn to reap up the rich harvest of peace thru peaceful means.

But, alas ! This is all a rosy dream. Atomic power and chemical weapons are now being used in modern warfare by some fanatics. The peace of the whole world is brought to a turmoil like a pebble hurled into the tranquil waters of a lake. We have before us the glaring and daring example of Saddam Hussain of Iraq who has not only Kuwait but also the whole world at bay threatening to make a use of chemical bombs, if someone interfered in their internal matters. In this case, apart from the oil-rig policy, religion too plays a major role.

What does our todayï¿½s burning issue, the crisis over Prabhu Ramachandraï¿½s birth-place at Ayodhya i. e. Babari Masjid show? our Political leaders, ministers, instead of attending to the immediate needs of the nation are wasting their energies over this impertinent issue, and because of this one whole government met its doom. Many innocent ï¿½Karsevaksï¿½ lost their lives. And the result ? The problem is still there where it was before. But due to this conflict between the two religions, the Shahi Imam of Delhi has threatened that if any damage is caused to the existing Babri Masjid, the Muslims all over India will revolt. This fiery and instigating speech is an example enough to – establish how a religion can bar and mar peace.

Take the example of Khalistan. The Sikhs in Punjab have made Khalistan their prestige issue and every day a number of innocents have to lose their lives for this petty and unnecessary demand of a separate religious state for the Sikhs. There in Kashmir, the Switzerland of India, people are agitating for their own separate State of Mujahids. The Sikhs and Muslims all over the world are demonstrating against and are showing their resent over our Governmentï¿½s policy. This religious conflict too, is bringing the worldpeace towards the same question, ï¿½do religions bar the world peace?ï¿½

Ramses II and his queen Nefertiti tortured and butchered the Jew slaves in ancient Egypt so much so that they found a Solace in Moses and mutinied against the Egyptian dynasty. They fleed Egypt, suffered torturous starvation for over forty days and finally arrived in the Promised Land, the land of flowing honey and milk, Israel. They had their . own nation. This mutiny of the Jews saw the doom of the; Egyptian civilization. The religious discrimination, fanaticism and civic slander by Ramses It brought the chariot of the progress of Egyptian civilization to a stand still. This was not a conflict between the ruling dynasty and the slaves but was between the Egyptian idol worshippers and nonidol worshipper Jews. This mad hatred for the other religion brought the whole civilization to dust.

The famous war of Troy, which sparked epic writer Homer to write two epics ï¿½ Iliadï¿½ and Odysseyï¿½, was between the Trojans ( Romans ) and the Greeks. Once again, two religions churned the tranquil life of the civilians, various gods took active part in the war and the war was fought for many years. Helen of Troy was a bait for this war and while returning home the weary Soldiers, when they were camped on an idyllic island, pleaded with their captain, ï¿½ If death is the end of I if a, why should life all labour be? So, letï¿½s relax.ï¿½ Here too, the conflict between two different religions is quite apparent. The kingdom of King Agamemnon was gutted down. The feud between the religion had its toll.

Mostly all the Mughal emperors in India were iconoclasts. They destroyed the temples and built mosques on that spot. The famous example is that of the Babri Masjid of Ayodhya. Even the very famous Pir at Ajmer is housed in a Shiva temple. Dr. P. N. Oak of Delhi has tried to prove by using the latest C-40 test technique that the Taj Mahal of Agra was originally a Shiva temple and it was one of the seats of the twelve Jyotirlingas. At the foot of the Daulatabad fort one can see a Jain temple converted into a mosque by simply removing the conical top of the temple and replacing it with a Muslim dome. Same is the case of a Shiva temple in the fort at Mandu in Madhya Pradesh where, Sher Shah Surie converted it into a mosque. All these Mughal emperors had to face the social conflict and the wrath of their subjects.

Every rule tends to have an exception. Emperor Akbar and his son Salim alias Emperor Jehangir were secular in their views. This is evident from ï¿½Ain-e-Akbariï¿½ and Jehangirnamaï¿½ written by them. Akbar had even legally married a Rajput lady, Maharani Jodha, who begot Salim.

The fort at Mandu, where we see a Shiva temple converted into a mosque by Sher Shah Surie, also has a Shiva temple ï¿½ built by Emperor Akbar. This temple is built in such a way that a live spring of water bathes the Shiva Lingam through- out the year. Emperor Akbarï¿½s son, Jehangir, too stepped into his fatherï¿½s boots and built a temple at Pindauri, Dist. Gurudaspur in Punjab. This Raghunath temple at Pindauri, is also known as Jehangir temple. Both these emperors had a peaceful rule as there were no conflicts between religions and all religions had equal status and importance. King Ashoka embraced Buddhism when he saw the aftermath of the brutal carnage in the famous Kalinga war. He became so much popular and favourite amongst his subjects that he was referred to as ï¿½ Devanam priya, priyadarshi Rajaï¿½ i. e. Godï¿½s favourite fair-looking King. The short-lived King of ancient Egypt, Tut-Ankh-Amen, also created a golden era in his lifetime through his policy of secularism.

The Tsar of Russia went into the clutches of Rasputin, ï¿½the royal priest, started the torture of the Jews and Christians and finally saw the assassination of Rasputin. He himself met his doom thru the Russian Revolution. Fanaticism for any said sect or religion has always proved fatal to states, nations, countries, civilizations and cultures. That is exactly what happened when Jesus Christ was mercilessly crucified by the Romans for his crime of making the people aware of the Truth and for calling himself the Son of God. His disciples, in order to show their reverence for him, started calling themselves Christians. A new religion, a religion preaching peace, tolerance and brotherhood was born. Roman civilization itself crumbled with the treacherous murder of Juliuscaesar by Mark Anthony. Today Christianity is one of the prime religions of the world.