Jainism The Cosmic Vision

SR No.: 006587
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: UK Mahavir Foundation London
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 276
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

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Human Rights And Jainism is based on the tenets of morality, humanitarianism and compassion. It preaches us to put limits to material greed and consumption which are the very off-shoots of consumerism. It is often forgotton that when a person indulges in limitless consumption, he lends himself to fear and insecurity. For instance, those who load themselves with ornaments are always gripped with the fear of theft or physical confiscation. The Jain religion sincerely believes that consumerism has made man unhappy and has brought him perpetual dissatisfaction. He is now deprived of happiness, peace and stability. The material wealth which initially appears to lead one to happiness will ultimately make one more and more unhappy. That is why the Jain religion persudes us to put an end to aggrandisement or atleast to fix a certain limit to it. If what is preached by it is practised in the world, poverty would be eliminated and crimes resulting from it would also be reduced.
Whenever there was a war cry, Bhagwan Mahavira during his life time acted in the following way :
1. He personally intervened to halt the war, wherever it was waged.
2. He advocated the vow of non-aggression or nonretaliation i.e. as long as a country was not physically attacked by an aggressor, no country should attack the opponent.
3. He took steps to ensure that the hostility between the warring groups is completely eliminated or atleast reduced through negotiations. He actively worked for disarmament during his time. He also preached that abductions, repression and suppression of others' thoughts and actions are only different forms of the same thing called violence. It is only when
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