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 122

Jaina Religon -- Universal Relevance in the Contemporary World
93
organs for perfumes, which harpoon whales for lipstics, rouge and other products, which kill musk dear for scent. This involves enormus cruelty, violence and environmental devastation and to what end? - For use in fancy restaurants as rare menu items, for use as pets or for use in zoos and circuses or for luxurious cosmetic consumption! We talk of human rights day in and day out but choose to turn a blind eye to the rights of the mute animals !!
Mexican conservationist Homes Ardjes says:
"We are killing the masterpieces of life on the planet and
destroying life support system."
Conservation ethics is being grossly neglected and violated. It is only the spread of the culture of non-violence that can bring a lasting change in this cruel and violent habit and addiction. Consumers need to be convinced with love and reasoning that they need to give up such "tastes" which, in the ultimate analysis, go against the interest of humanity and the universe.
UN Earth Summit held at Rio-de-Janeiro in Brazil in June 1992 eloquently focussed on "the rape of our planet". World's forest are being wrecklessly destroyed, rivers, lakes, oceans being pollutted, wild life is becoming extinct, land is become barren, march of desert is getting accelerated an depleting ozon layaer threatens global warming and climate change. Jaina philosophy emphasises that if the plane's life support system does not survive, it would threaten the very survival of humanity.
The Rio declaration adopted by the Sacred Earth Gathering of over sixty leading spiritual and religious leaders of the world very significantly incorporates the Jaina thought :
"We believe that the universe is sacred because allis one. We believe in the sanctity and the integrity of all life forms. We affirm the principles of peace and non-violence in governing human behaviour towards one another and all life. "We view ecological disruption as a violent intervention into the web of life. Genetic engineering threatens the very fabric of life. Weurge governments, scientist and industry to refrain from rushing into genetic manipulation."