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Contemporary Relevance of Triratna' Ideal of Jainism
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us to raise the quality of human beings. We must get rid of our Selfcentredness and develop world loyalty. In other words, the crisis of man could only be solved by realizing his spiritual potentialities and his true mission in life, which would spontaneously result in non-injury, appropriation, desirelessness, freedom from fear selfless service, Self-realization and Self-knowledge.
The necessity for us is to realize our own selves. Afterall that is the main issue, is not it? So long as we do not understand ourselves, we have no basis for thought, we can escape into illusions, can flee away from contention and strife, can look for our salvation through somebody else; but so long as we are ignorant of ourselves, the total process of ourselves, we have no basis for thought, for affection and action. The ideal of 'Triratna' is particularly relevant at the present time marked by spiritual unrest and crisis. The modern mind may not find it possible to believe in God, Soul and immortality but he can not be indifferent to the prospects of peace promised by this ideal. It puts before us the ideal of a perfect human being. Thus Triratna ideal, if put into practice, will establish permanent peace and all selfishness, enmity and malice will disappear. All our conflicts, all our contentions and clashes will come to an end. The life will be harmonious and worth living. Now What else is required by man than to live a heavenly life on the earth ?
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