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The Jains through Time
211
Tirthankar Mahavir has gone so far as to say, message of the great thinkers echoes in our "To be violent against these elements of ears, "O man! Do not destroy nature! Its nature is to commit an act of violence beauty and tranquillity are created for your against oneself." Nevertheless man began happiness. The sweet waters flowing in the process of exploiting nature for his own rivers and streams were put there to quench comfort and convenience. He proceeded to your thirst. The ocean that roars appropriate and squander nature's treasures thunderously and washes the shore with its without any feeling of remorse. An waves every hour of the day and night is also increasing population as well as man's for your benefit. The lofty mountains stand growing material needs and his aspirations as your sentinels. The cool and bracing to a comfortable life, have resulted in an breezes, so clean and healthful, are there to ever escalating race to exploit the natural bring inspiration and blessings and a resources of the planet. The realisation that renewed vigour into your life. You have a this process is not sustainable has finally unique connection with all the elements of dawned on people, but it seems to have nature. Your very existence depends on accelerated the pace of exploitation, not them. Do not destroy them!" However, man slowed it down. Our present day attitude has been blinded by his own selfishness, he seems to be, 'It won't be here tomorrow, so turns a deaf ear to all that is good for him. let us use it today!' Man is facing the consequences of having looted the treasures in the Vishnu Puran it is written, 'Where of nature. The pollution of the air, the fruit-producing and flower-bearing trees are destruction of the forests and the misuse of destroyed, droughts, cloudbursts, flash floods water resources have become major and famine are inevitable.' Has man seen or problems on this fragile earth.
heard this message? To satisfy his material
desires, he has disregarded the teachings of The scriptures cry out, the voices of the the seers by continuing to destroy the sages reverberate down the ages and the remaining forests. Man has cut down the
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