Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago

SR No.: 014010
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 402
Language: English
Classification: Seminar & Articles
File Size: 23 MB

Page 102

A Coalition of the world's Religions for Ecology, Distress-relief and Peace
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foremost is the principle of compassion. Lord Buddha and Lord Mahāvīra both put compassion, as a very vital part of their prospective in life, i.e., not exclusive only to these two traditions, but is shared in all the traditions in the world. Compassion is what makes religion human. It makes religion for human beings relevant to their lives. This is what enables them to raise the quality of their lives. It is a sense of reciprocity in society, the sense of inter-dependence, the response to the cry of the heart, cry of the soul and cry of the body. This is what makes religion and the spirit of religion relevant to us. Compassion must lead to concern, concern must lead to consideration, consideration must lead to a commitment and that commitment must lead to a concurrence. It is in that concurrence finaly that religion will fulfil its moral rationale on earth. In this way we would be able to offer, a common legacy of mankind everywhere. I recall the wonderful initiative, of the WWF under the aegis of your highness. Duke of Edinburg to whom almost all the religious traditions presented their statements on nature. This was one of the finest gatherings of religions spiritual prospective on ecology. I had a privilege of presenting one of the declarations on nature. But I find that Saint Francis of assisi and-- these are called the assisi declaration-- and all the saints and savants of human history from the time of Tīrtharkarasof Jains, and the Vedas of the Hindus and Buddhist scriptures, and the Christian writings and the Sikh have contributed to the whole cause of preserving nature. It is a contribution to harmony. I still remember a question that His Highness Duke of Edinburg asked me when I discussed with him this declaration on nature. He said that it is strange that so many centuries ago, people were asking these questions. At that time they did not face the threats and the perils of the ozone hole. They did not know about the greenhouse effects. They did know the earth was in immediate danger of destruction. And yet they thought of the principle of a harmonions relationship with nature. Today we are in a situation where it has become a common peril, which threatens our common future, as I have said on many occasions, the killing of environment, the violence we commit on environment, is eco side. Eco side is collective suicide. Religions cannot be mere spectators to the collective suicide of civilization through eco side. Religion must rise to the occasion, and must mobilise the moral resources of human kind everywhere to provide a response to the perils that we are facing today.