Page Text
________________
Jaina Religon -- Universal Relevance in the Contemporary World
In his book "Vedānta Treatise", Mr. A Parthasarathy has beautifully explained the meaning and relevance of renunciation:
"Renunciation is not measured by, the quantum of possessions. It is determined by the attitude of dispossession towards your possession. The concept of renunciation has been gravely misconstrued with the result that wealth and riches have been condemned in the name of religion.
If the nations of the world today wish to claim real civilisation and progress, they ought to inculcate the sense of dispossession in the mids of their citizens. The spirit of true renunciation alone cand pave the way to salvation for nations as well as individuals.'
13
Thus "Aparigraha "does not envisage dispensation of normal life of a householder. It is not running away from normal life or escaping from its challenges and responsibilities. It is not necessary to become a hermit and retire to Himalayan mountain areas for meditation and penance. Asceticism is for the monks to practice. For people in the society. "Aparigraha" is a way to gain more and more objectivity in life and rationality of approach.
95
Implicit in the Jaina concept of "Aparigraha" is the phiolosophy of conservation of natural environment and avoidance of its over exploitation or abusive and wasteful consumption. For instance, it has now become clear that the rupture in the protective ozone layer is the result of man's own mischief with nature due to his acts of unrestrained violence and wreckless possessiveness.
Jaina ethics regards misuse of any part of nature as a kind of theft as it deprives life of its inherent autonomy and independence. "Take from the earth only what you need; the mother earth will then be able to serve and support living creatures longer."
Ahimsa (Non-violence) ad Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness complement and supplemet one another. in the world of today if these virtues are practised together in practical life, it would help in reducing social tensions, national greed, international rivalries over boundaries, control over natural resources, or fruits of development, legal or technical,
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 014010 |
| Book Title | Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago |
| 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 |