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HERITAGE OF LORD MAHAVIRA :
Jainism. For, it is obvious that to make a being so highly developed as a human soul suffer in such an abject manner, in the name of the humanest of all religions would clearly fall under the category of the worst and meanest injury - Himsa. And besides, it would mean a downright insult to Religion in general.
VI
Let us now return to the basic problem of the relation of the individual to the community. The social conduct prescribed by Jainism under this head is characterised by the four attitudes of “MAITRI”, “PRAMODA”, “KARUNYA” and “MADHYASTHYA” – Amity, Appreciation, Compassion and Equanimity. They have been properly defined and grouped together in the following stanzas :
मा कार्षीत् कोऽपि पापानि मा च भूत् कोऽपि दुःखितः । मुच्यतां जगदप्येषा मतिमैत्री निगद्यते ॥ अपास्ताशेषदोषाणां वस्तुतत्त्वावलोकिनाम् । गुणेषु पक्षपातो यः स प्रमोदः प्रकीर्तितः ॥ दीनेष्वार्तेषु भीतेषु याचमानेषु जीवितम् । प्रतीकारपरा बुद्धिः कारुण्यमभिधीयते ॥ क्रूरकर्मसु निःशकं देवतागुरुनिन्दिषु । आत्मशंसिषु योपेक्षा तन्माध्यस्थ्यमुदीरितम् ॥
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com