Peace Religious Harmony and Solution of World Problems from Jaina Prespective

SR No.: 001657
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 70
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Social
File Size: 4 MB

Page 7

forgotten our essential unity and are conflicting on the basis of these apparent diversities. But we must bear in our mind that it is only humanity, which can conjoin the people of different faiths, cultures and nationalities. Jaina ācāryas declared the human race as one (ego maņussa jāit. The difference of caste, culture and creed are not only superficial but mostly the creation of man.
What is True Religion
The ultimate end in view of all religions is to ensure peace and happiness for the individual and to establish harmony within human society. However, as is known from history, countless wars have been fought in the name of the religion. The religion thus remains accused for the inestimable amount of bloodshed of mankind. Of course, it is not of the so-colled men of religion responsible for this horrible consequences. At present religion as such is largely shoved into the background or at best used in the service of political ideologies. If one belives that only his faith, his mode of worship and his political ideologies are the right means for securing peace and happiness for mankind, he cannot be tolerant to the view-points of his opponents. The immediacy, therefore, is to develop tolerance to and friendship for others. It is the only approach by which we can generate peace and harmony inside human society.
Can religion as a category, of which Jainism is a part, meet with this challenge of our times? Before this question can be answered we must make a distinction between a true and a false religion. Because a true religion never supports violence, intolerance and fanatical outlook and is cannot per se be made responsible for the ignominious acts committed in the name of religion by such religious leaders who want to serve their vested interest. The barbarity committed in the past and perpetrated in the present in the name of religion is due very largely to the intolerance and fanaticism of the so-called religious leaders and their ignorant followers.
The only way of freeing oneself from this sordid situation is to comprehend to the true nature, indeed, to grasp the "essence" of religion and to develop tolerance toward and respect for other's ideologies and faiths.
For the Jainas, a true religion consists in the practice of equanimity