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GREAT HYMN OF OBEISANCE: A CONTEMPLATION
BIRTH-DEATH AND HAPPINESS-MISERY
tellect and labour are being spent in finding measures to protect ourselves. What more to say, our entire life is dedicated to this and our time is passing in this anxiety only.
Neighbour is frightened of the neighbour, is suspicious; neighbours are busy conspiring against each other, they are engaged in destruction in the name of security, rest and peace are not visible in anyone's life.
This foolish world has accumulated so many weapons of destruction in the name of the security that even if one hundredth thereof were used, the entire human race would be annihilated. What is funny and astonishing is that all this destructive capacity has been developed in the name of security. This is the arrangement of death for the sake of immortality.
This world, skilled in presenting inferior quality goods in excellent packing, has become such an expert in using vocabulary of non-violence for violent activities that it undertakes the task of fishing in the name of "fishery' industry, antibiotic medicines are also called life saving drugs.
In this manner, this world is considering itself secure by amassing weapons, but brother, weapons are the devices of death, not of life; why your attention does not go towards this general truth? The life of none has ever become safe because of the use of weapons, instead, it has certainly resulted in the reign of death.
For clarifying this supreme truth, I want to draw your attention towards the fact that almost one crore Jains live in India and if their houses are searched, not even in one percent thereof would have weapons. The situation of Jain temples is that, leave aside fire weapons, even a single stick would not be found inside. Not a single member of this non-violent society, devoid of weapons, dies untimely due to weapons, all die their natural death.
If we see on the other side, in Punjab, practically every house is having weapons and there are plenty of weapons in Gurudwaras. Whenever there are military operations in Gurudwaras, they are found equipped with mountains of weapons, even then they are not safe. We read every
day in newspapers as to so many died today and today so many died. The question of people not dying does not arise, now only this much needs to be seen as to how many have died today. Not a single day passes when ten-twenty people do not die in Punjab and Kashmir. What is all this?
This only proves that weapons are not the devices for security, instead these are silent invitations to death; because, those who do not possess weapons, they do not die of weapons, but those who have weapons generally die of weapons.
Suppose, I am unarmed and have rupees ten thousand with me and somebody wants to rob this money from me, it will not be necessary for him to bring weapons. A mere rod is sufficient. It is not necessary to strike with the rod; it is sufficient to show it; because money would be available to him merely by showing the rod.
In this manner, leave aside my dying of weapons, even my being beaten with the rod is not possible, but if someone with weapons has to be robbed, the robbers will have to come fully equipped with weapons. Robbers would not only rob his money, but they could also kill him because they would always fear danger from him.
In this manner, it is certain that weapons are not the means of security but merchants of death. Even then some people say, "Nobody would dare to attack us because of the fright of our weapons and therefore we would be safe." To the people who think so, I have to say, "Let us presume that nobody would attack you due to the fear of your weapons, but what will happen when you die after illness?"
This world, restless and disturbed due to this anxiety, has manufactured several kinds of medicines. 'Someone may not kill' - on account of this anxiety one type of tablets (atom bombs) have been manufactured and due to the fright they may not themselves die due to diseases - they have manufactured another type of tablets (medicine). Manufacture of life saving drugs (anti biotics) is the consequence of this anxiety.
In this manner, he tries to free himself from the anxiety of death on the strength of tablets, but none has been able to become immortal along with body. We see lakhs of people dying everyday.
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