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
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the fact that this external or environmental peace depends on the mental peace of individuals, since, our external behaviour is only an expression of our inner will and attitude towards life. Thus, the various aspects of peace are not mutually exclusive but inclusive. The peace of society or in other words the environmental peace is disturbed, when the inner peace of the individual is disturbed and vice versa. In my humble opinion hostilities and wars are the expressions and outcomes of sick mentality. It is the agressive and selfish outlook of an individual or a society that gives birth to confrontations among individual, individual and society as well as different social or religious groups and nations. At the root of all types of confrontations and wars, which disturb our environmental peace, there lies the feeling of discontentment as well as will for power, possession and hoarding. Thus social disturbances, conflict and confrontations are only symptoms of our mental tensions orsick mentality.
In fact, the peace of society depends on the psychology or mental make-up of its members, but it is also true that our attitude towards life and behavioural pattern is shaped by our social environment and social training. The behavioural pattern and mentality of the members of nonviolent society will surely be different from that of a violent society. While on the one side social norms, ideals and conditions affect the mental make-up and behavioural pattern of the individual, on the other side there are also individuals, who shape the sccial norms, ideals and conditions.
Though, it is correct that in many cases disturbed social conditions and environmental factors may be responsible for vitiating our mental peace, yet they can not disturb the persons, strong spiritually. According to Jainism spiritually developed soul remains unaffected at his mental level by external factors. But on the other hand disturbed mental state necessarily affects our social and environmental peace. Thus, for Jainas the inner peace of the soul is the cause and that of the society is the effect. Modern tension theory also supports this view. A book namely "Tensions that causes Wars' tells us that 'economic inequalities, insecurities and frustrations create groups and national conflicts, but for Jainas economic inequalities and feeling of insecurities can not disturb those persons, who are self-contented and free from doubts and fears. So far as the frustrations are concerned they are generated by our ambitions and resentments and