________________
of nuclear weapons, mountains of chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction. The twentieth century the century of great achievements has also witnessed two great world wars and innumerable number of local and regional wars and conflicts. Violence and terrorism is taking a heavy toll of human life and property and has created a climate of fear and apprehension, hostility and hatred.
NO INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN ACTION AND SPIRITUAL SEEKING:
There is a common impression that action has no place in the life of spiritual seeking. Lord Krishna tells Arjun in Gita
"Activity in life, intelligently undertaken is a means to reach the highest spiritual consummation”. “Thy business is with action only, never with reward or merit accruing from it. Let not the fruit of action neither entangle thee nor is
thou the slave of inaction."
Spirituality cannot be pursued through inaction. Action is the symbol of life. As long as a man lives, he acts. It has been aptly put:
“Men of mere ideas and no legs are no more then
intellectual centipedes".
Doing one's duties and performing tasks do not disconnect one from the journey towards spiritual realization. Spiritual awakening does not require one to become a hermit and retire to Himalayan mountain regions.
Swami Vivekananda's first lesson of spirituality was, "Go play football”. The moral is that even the maintenance of your body would be impaired by inaction. Both material and spiritual wellbeing come to an active and not a lazy person.
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner
*
(86)
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
