Section 14 To Section -16Jainworld2022-08-26T10:55:07-06:00

Section 14 To Section -16

Be Humane to Install World-Peace

* K. Nageswaran, Pune

Introduction

The advancement in modern science and technology has taken man far away from his humble and creature comforts to a breath-takingly new world. He can now fathom the depths of the ocean and measure the skies; communication and commutation have shrunk the globe; nothing goes unnoticed that is aught mentioning. Gone are the days of writing by the candle light or stacking volumes in spacious libraries. This is the age of capsules, films, videos and miniatures and tablets. Birth and death are no longer beyond manï¿½s control. Frontiers of science have truly widened beyond imagination.

Present Status of Man :

And yet, sadly yet, man today is beset with multifarious problems and contrasts. Poverty and slavery co-exist with luxury and licentiousness. Abundance and plenty in one part of the globe is in contrast to abject penury and drought in the other. Love has lost its innate meaning and hatred and war have become pass-words for prosperity. Where once spirit of mutual trust and give and take prevailed, there reign supreme the twin gods of distrust and exploitation and contempt.

God seems to have no place in the scheme of things man has set for himself for his so-called progress. Social turmoilï¿½s, killings, religion set against religion, caste against caste, rich against poor, students against rulers, government against government, the, list is endless. Indeed God has been relegated to a remote place.

Naturally, peace and equipoise clude man torn between multifarions divisive tendencies he has chosen to develop without. He has forgotten his original source-God without whom he will always remain uncompleted and restless. Peace is another name for God. To earn peace, to attain peace man has to turn within and turn to God, with an earnest mind. Then god will listen to him and shower his benediction by way of peace in abundance.

The greater mistake mankind is making is to ignore the spiritual aspect of human life and social good. Great saints of India right from Sankara to Mahatma Gandhi have emphasised the importance of spiritual awakening in man if he wants real peace

How to Attain Peace :

Human beings by changing their inner attitudes can change the outer aspects of their lives, ï¿½You can not climb uphill by thinking downhill thoughtsï¿½ said Mr. Petersan a renowned author. ï¿½ If your world is gloomy and hopeless, it is because you are gloomy and hopeless. The change requires substituting of new habits for old. You make your character and your future by your acts. Your mind should be lifted up above doubt, cynicism and despair. Your vision must be high above the fog of petty things. ï¿½ Unless we push forward we will go backwards. In other words, we should win God-wond.

Take for instance the Gita :

ï¿½ Those who worship me, and meditate on me without any other thought, to those steadfast devotees, I secure safety and supply all their needs.ï¿½ ( Ch. 9.22 ).

ï¿½ Fill thy heart with me, Be thou devoted to me, do thou worship me and bow down to me, thus that shall attain unto me. Truly I promise thee for thou art dear to me. Giving up all dharmas come upto me alone for refuge. I shall free thee from all sins. Grieve not. ï¿½ ( Ch. I-65-66 )

We must aspire intensely to rise higher. Aspiration is not the same thing as desire. In aspiring we are competing only with ourselves. Unlike in desire where we meet with frustration, jealousy, heart-burning, bitterness all the results are sure positive, the energy is not dissipated but conserved and the outlook will be healthier. There is no waste of efforts, no opposite currents, no stay, no hindrance. Our creative faculty will get good scope and we will rise and develop self-confidence. Every step in aspiration is a plus. It will not go in vain.

Need of the Hour :

We have to be strong. Nothing can he achieved without fearlessness. Swami Vivekananda was an apostle of the philosophy of strength, not the strength of the ï¿½Asurasï¿½ but the strength of the spirit. Swamiji said, ï¿½And herein the test of truth, anything that makes you weak, physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject as posion. There is no life in it; it can not be true. Truth is strengthening ï¿½. This is what Swami Vivekananda taught us. This is what particularly as younger generation has got to learn. Swamiji wanted our young men to be ï¿½With muscles of iron and never of steel. ï¿½ Our young men can become strong physically, intellectually and spiritually if only they can draw inspiration from the lives of great seers and saints of India.

Tolerance, understanding, sympathy, respect for man as an essentially a spiritual entity-all these are out-ward expressions of a cognition of a minor relationship. Is it not greater to aspire after, seek and show that inner relationship which binds us all and which alone can pave the way for the peace and progress of mankind ?

Shall we say, it is time we trace back our steps and pick up the path meant for man to tread, and not take the wild forest-path full of thorns and pits which even wild animals can easily avoid?

We should, one and all, meditate on the supreme spirit and whole-heartedly surrender ourselves to God. Continuous practice of meditation reveals an introspective inner power by which the soul recognizes its contact over soul in which it remains absorbed. Thank in the mind at peace, unshaken by misery or success, free from fear, attachment or anger the heart remains filled with love and compassion for all beings. In such an atmosphere divine peace prevails like the cool moon-lit night, showering its divine benediction on one and all.

To sum up, man must awaken to his divine nature and take up his journey inward to realise his ideal. All other thoughts will automatically drop off like leaves of a tree in autumn. The closer he proceeds inwards, the greater will be his inner peace and equipoise. He will then perceive the divine purpose of creation and co-operate with God in making earth a real Heaven to live in

ï¿½Peace to allï¿½

Humanity-the base of World ï¿½Peace

* Pratibha R. Gandhi

In the early stages of manï¿½s history the individual learned to maintain himself by producing the necessities of life in ever-increasing quantity. The primary motive of the individual is to maintain and reproduce himself. But the maintenance and reproduction of the individual may often conflict with the maintenance and reproduction of one or more groups. Wars occur because great number of people of different national groups are prepared and are easily persuaded, to take part in them. It is indeed the case that man has always been and always will be impelled to warring by his own unchangeable nature.

Wars are made possible because the lives of so many individuals in the modern state are so grey and so dull, so complicated and so unsatisfying, War that promises to bring drama, excitement and implification into their lives is welcomed.

I feel world-peace does not only mean having the border issue of Iran and Iraq, or India and Pakistan or the racist problem in Africa, though these problems have to be solved to achieve better peace in this world. Waging a war is not the only solution to solve these problems. Solutions can also come by peaceful means through negotiations.

It is important to understand that the principal phenomenon of our time is not universal war. We have some reason to hope that history will not repeat itself for us since we possess ways and means of knowing and acting not available to our anecestors. A century ago, the creation of a politically unified world was an impossibility, for mountains, oceans, and great distances between separated the people. In those days wars were localised and each war involved comparatively few. But in this century, wars have become world wars.

ï¿½ It wishes were horses, the beggars would ride, ï¿½so runs a proverb. So only wishing that man does not wage war is not going to help todayï¿½s generation.

To prepare the society of tomorrow, we must first grasp the reality of today. This apprehension of reality demands a sincere and persistent effort to understand the events going on about us, not only in our village or town or nation but also in the world.

We are incapable, in our present state of division and confusion, of transforming our institutions all at once. Modern society is a heavy construction weighed down with all the errors of the part. At this moment we have neither the intelligence nor the strength to build up every single part of the new world. So we must first renovate ourselves and this effort can be begun here and now by anyone who chooses. It may seem absurd to believe that we are capable of affecting the revival of our world by an individual effort. Yet a very feeble effort becomes irresistible when it is multiplied millions of times.

Isolated and independent man has never existed except in imaginations. We depend entirely on the men, on those who live with us and those who have preceded us. Man has been given brain, which is why is placed at the topmost position in the hierarchy of living beings. Then why not use these brains in a proper way for the benefits of all, and live together in peace and harmony ?.

The responsibility of parents to children, of one generation to its successor to assume an importance has grown. Parents always tell their children to be good and not fight among themselves. For the children to practise this, it is a prime necessity that first parents bring this preaching into practice. The future will be what we are ourselves. Why not make a happier world so that the generations to come can say with pride. ï¿½We are happier than our forefathers in all respects – healthier, cheerful, comforted and living in a better and more important peaceful world.ï¿½

Do the Barriers of Religions Hinder the Peace ?

* Prof. Mrs. Madhumati R. Patil

I bow down my head to them who know all the Universe, who are stainless, whose speech is matchless, peerless, who have destroyed all the defects and who possessed all the good qualities, who may be called Buddha or Vardhaman, Vishnu or Keshava or Shiva.

While discussing Ramajanmabhumi and Babri Masjid my friend said, ï¿½If we want equality and brotherhood we must ban all the religions.ï¿½ I did not agree with her so I said, ï¿½No, never, what shows us the value of celibacy and purity ? What tells us to be true and honest ? What shows us the path of salvation? Isnï¿½t it religion? Why then will the religions hinder in the peace?

India has seen many different religions living happily in the reign of Emperor Chadragupta, Emperor Ashoka, Emperor Amoghavarsha and many other kings. The greet Emperor Akabar had also proved his best administration by treating al( the religions equally. Saint 108 Vidyasagarwas held in great respect in his court. But now I see the present pitiable and miserable condition of our mother India, who is suffering from this problem. So I was in a dilemma.

ï¿½ A thought came to my mind; could we prevent children from fighting by keeping them without allowing them to have the knowledge of caste and religion ? ï¿½ ( remembered the primary schools where students of all religions are found. But I have seen them quarrelling and stealing the pencils of others. beating and crying. Also I remembered the teacher who told us the stories of Lord Mahaveer and Buddha and Jesus and other great saints and persuaded us from doing bad things. So I came to a conclusion that it is religion that comes ahead to keep us away from these passions and bad instincts.

The very definition of religion shows us what it is. That which destroys all the karmas and raises the human beings from the worldly pain to the highest peace is religion.

Religion means peace and peace means religion. Where there is peace, forgiveness, compassion there and there only is the dwelling of God, the Alimighty. It is said.

As there can be no music without rhythm or notes, as there can be no friend without love or friendship, as there can be no butter without milk, how can we expect peace without religion ?

None of the religions teaches us to behave improperly. I have heard that Koran tells, ï¿½ It is not the blood but devotion that Allah wants.ï¿½ Hindu religion also recommends peace. Jesus who was suffering the deadly pains while being crucified, said. O God forgive them for they know not what they are doing.ï¿½ Donï¿½t you think that Jesus has taught us the religion of peace through his sufferings? Above all the Jains with its philosophy of ï¿½ five and let Live,ï¿½ with itï¿½s ever fluttering flag of Ahimsa and truth has stood as a light house to guide the whole world which is on the verge of the third world war.

Some years ago I met Mrs. Emrik in the Baisingar Library, Miraj, who come from America to serve the diseased people in the Mission Hospital, Miraj. ( asked her, what type of prayer she said in her country ? She uttered with devotion ï¿½Let there be peace in the world, and ( et it begin from me. ï¿½

I was shocked and surprised, Isnï¿½t it the summary of all holy books? I liked these lines very much and naturally these were carved on my heart. Everyone of us wants peace but very few of us say. ï¿½ Let it begin from me. ï¿½ If all of us decide to think of others it will be the golden chapter in the history of the world.

If I quote one more incident, it wonï¿½t be irrelevant. It is the incident of 1985, when Miss Chriss Martin from England, Miss Shessyi Fifer from States and Miss Pratibha from Canada came to the Mission Hospital, Miraj. When our friendship grew f took them to the holy place of Bahubali. Paramapoojya Shri 108 Samantabhadra Maharaj was also pleased to invite them and asked them to avoid non-vegetarian meals. They told that, ï¿½they would try ï¿½. They were surprised to know that ï¿½ God is neither the creator nor the destroyer of the Universe. Every soul is in itself, absolutely omniscient and blissful and the bliss does not come from out side. All human beings are miserable due to their own faults and they can themselves be happy by rectifying them. Everybody can attain Godly hood by making supreme efforts in the right direction. ï¿½

In the pleasant atmosphere we had our meals on the hill. We unknowingly threw our lunch packets and paper plates on the ground. But immediately the Shessyi from America collected those papers and put them in the pit which was long away from the place. She said we shouldnï¿½t spoil the purity of the holy place.

I was ashamed and came to know why their nation is prosperous and advanced in all fields. According to my knowledge America is baseless, tradition-less as it is a new born nation, but the behaviour of the inhabitants of the same nation made me ashamed of my culture. We people are interested in boasting of our culture but do not act according to it, and thatï¿½s why our country suffers from all these problems.

If we want peace, and if we want to inculcate these principles in the new generation let the history be changed which is limited with only one lesson of Bhagavan Mahaveer. If we want to change the whole atmosphere, let all the pages of history be full of religion, compassion, mercy and God and we will see that.

If we want this to happen. Then letï¿½s start to pray.

Let there be peace in the world and let it begin from me. ï¿½