Mahavira Smruti Granth Part 01

SR No.: 010530
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamtaprasad Jain, Others
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Society Agra
Total Pages: 363
Language: Hindi
Classification: Smruti_Granth
File Size: 9 MB

Page 13

MESSAGE FROM H. E. THE GOVERNOR OF BIHAR
Governor's Camp, Bibar.
July 23, 1948, "Man's progress has always been due to the effort of some highly spiritual personalities who have graced the earth with their presence Dop and then. Such outstanding personalities are not necessarily born in one country or at one time. If we read the history of man's progress in the world we find that they have been born at different times and in different countries. Yet the work of them all 18 ultimately to make the world happier by making the man conscious of his duties towards those among whom he lives. These great personalities are generally known as awatārs, incarnations or prophets, founders of religion or teachers of mankind, achārya or muni. Mahāvīra was one of such great teachers of humanity The religion of mercy and nonviolence was preached by Him firstly to dissuade people from indulging in indiscriminate slaughter of animals and birds for the sake of their food or for propitiating their gods. But He did not stop there , He carried the doctrine to its logical end and insisted upon men and his followers to observe a code of conduct in which scrupulous attention has been paid to avoid physical or mental violence to anybody, even the meanest creature crawling on the earth which nay come in contact with him. The doctrine of gon-violence, mercy and forbearance reached in Mabavira's teachings its bighest expression. Many people, who profess to be the followers of Jainism, of which Mahāvīra was the most pious and brilliant exponent, are engaged 10 big industries and money-making business. Some of them are seen at the end of the day's work moving about in open spaces found the town in search of ant-hills and spreading on the ground a pinch of sugar to feed the little creatures. But if we scan the nature of the daily transactions in which they are engaged, we may find some of them, if not all, guilty of upfairness and injustice to those who have to deal with them. This indicates that they try to conform to the teachings of Manāvīra by observing only the letter of the law and spirit of it. Adherence to the form at the cost of the spirit brings about a downfall as it encourages bypocrisy and sycophancy, which is nothing but violence in another form. Great men like Mahāvira urge these principles in order to create barmony between the principles which they accept in the name of religion and the worldly transactions which they carry on for the sake of making worldly gains In a way there is a gap between morality and practice. Great teachers of humanity like Mabāvira have come down to bridge up this gap. Principle and practice must go together, otherwise mankınd will be precipitating towards a great crisis. There 18 aeed for reminding men of the work and teachings of prophets like Mahāvīra at the present time. Institutions like the United Nations Organisation and other international associations are created in the name of very high principles, but
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