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10
JAINISM AND DEMOCRACY
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approach to truth. Aparigraha in thought is an urgent necessity of time, particularly when the meeting of different peoples has become a simple affair and the world has begun to appear like a town and cultural mindings are in progress. It does not mean that we should accept every view-point without examination. Blind faith and indiscriminate acceptance both are equally dangerous. We must examine every view-point without any regard whether it comes from our own side or from the other side. In case on examination our view-point is found defective we should be readily prepared to modify it. The same attitude should be held about the view points coming from other quarters. This is Aparigraha or samatā in the sphere of thought. It enjoins thinker for a full objective consideration. No pride and prejudice or subjective applications should be allowed.
We have no time at our disposal to discuss it in further detail. The teachings of Jainism can be summed up in the following four concepts and can be compare them with the requisites of democracy.
1. Non-voilence :-equality between the self and non
self in respect of life. 2. Non-absolutism:-equality of the view points coming
from different quarters. 3. The theory of Karma:-equality in justice, the essen
tial nature of soul and efforts for attainments; 4. Mysticism :-essential equality between the worshi
per and the worseipped.
In scope these fundamentals are sufficient to give
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