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

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Jainism in a Global Perspective
functional and how human beings must behave with each other. We must, therefore, first of all affirm this diversity without losing sight of the fundamental unity which runs like a thread in all this diversity. The affirmation of diversity is necessary to dispel doubts with regard to the creation of a single monolithic religion of mankind, that is not our dream, that is not our manifesto of the Parliament of World's Religions, that is not what is practical and proper. Therefore, we must affirm diversities while at the sametime affirming with equal vigour, the underlying unity which runs like a common thread a golden thread in all these diversities. We must then, create an inter-faith dialogue. The dialogue through cultural interaction the strangeness of the other's something which must be overcome. The other is you-- yourself is what must be emphasised. In fact, Lord Mahāvīra and Upanişadic tradition constantly emphasises this oneness in many.
If you harm someone else and think he is some one else, you are insulting yourself, opressing yourself, exploiting yourself. This is the larger unity of human kind. The perception of total empathy are what is called in Upanişadic tradition-- ātmavatsarvabhūteșu. It is beautifully expressed in different faith tradition of the world. Christianity tells us not do unto others what you would have not done to yourself, as depicted in our religious treatise-- ātmanah pratikūlāni pareșām na samācareta.
Do not do to others what you do not appreciate being done to you. This is a kind of empathy, this is a kind of terms of relationship. This is a kind of treaty of mankind. All this is based on two primordial conceptions of human nature. In the multicultural vision of humankind in the 21st century we should be aware of these two competing interpretations of human nature. Both of these are partially true as well as untrue. The conception of human nature is that it is savage. Hobbes, the great English philosopher said in Latin-- Homo hominie Lucus i.e. that the essential nature of man is such that one man is like a wolf to another. Even the wolves do not attack each other. The brutal nature of man is one aspect of the truth.
Another aspect of human nature is its essential nobility. This go as back to thousands of years in India. I will refer to many of my western friends the other western philosopher who expresses that thought and