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Ahiṁsā Dharma (The Religion of Non-Violence)
SADHVI SHILAPIJI
The Role and Relevance of Religion
The hope, that scientific and technological development will make human life happier has already been belied. Science has certainly given man more power over nature and greater comfort in day-to-day life but these have failed to ensure beatitude for mankind. The reason is that science explains only a part of reality and has nothing satisfactory to say about the domain of the inner world characterized by mind, consciousness and soul. For realizing a complete growth of a human being, the great scientific knowledge must be supplemented by strengthening and refining of the living spirit, which can be achieved only through the discipline of religion.
The history of mankind is ornamented, with the lives and preachings of great prophets and visionaries. However, the world is still full of misery and darkness. This clearly indicates that something is radically wrong with the state of mankind. We should aim at diagnosing the basic malady and suggest pragmatic solutions for betterment of the world.
Religion has definitely a capacity to mould human behaviour in such a way that it can bring peace, harmony and equanimity in the society, But which religion? Does religion simply mean following certain codes or creeds? Does it consist in chanting ceratin verses from sacrcd books and performing rituals?
Religion is deep insight into reality, an autonomous form of experience which must not be confused with anything else. Religions is essentially a concern of the inner life which makes us examine whether we have been kind to others and honest and sincere to ourselves and in our kinship with others. Different paths advocated by different prophets are different ways of reaching religion in the true sense of term.
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