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co-operation. It is a tragedy for the human mankind that on the one hand it wants peace and prosperity but on the other hand is stil has a belief in the dictum 'might is right', i.e., violence. Peace and violence are contradictory, since through violence we cannot achieve peace. Peace achieved through violence and war is the peace of a cremation ground, and not a living peace. In Acaranga, Mahavira said: atthi sattham parena param, natthi asattham parena
param. There are weapons superior to each other, but nothing is superior than asastra, i.e., non-violence. Peace can be established and prosperity can be secured on the earth through non-violence, mutual faith, co-operation and sacrifice of one's own interest for the sake of others.
The meaning of peace
The term peace has various connotations. It means freedom from, or cessation of mental or spiritual disturbances or conflicts arising from passion sense of guilt, as well as it also means freedom from, or cessation of war or hostilities. Intrinsically peace means a state of tranquility of mind. It is inner peace or peace of mind. But extrinsically peace means cessation of war and hostilities. It is external peace of or peace in the society. Peace means a soul emptied of passions and desires. In the words of Saint Thomas Aqinas, peace implies two things: first we should not be disturbed by external things and second that our desires should find rest in one. This inner peace can also be described from negative and positive view-points.
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