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in founding what may be called hospitals for sick and enfeebled animals, where they are fed and taken care of, until they die a natural death.
The special feature of Jainism is its claim to Universal brotherhood. It opens its portal to all, irrespective of caste and creed Its main object is to lead all men to salvation and admits within its sacred pall the Aryans and the Non aryans alike. In ancient times when the masses groaned under a tyrannic priesthood, Jainism came forward and freed them from its tyrannical yoke. Like some of its contemporaneous religions it does not preach that the high born only, have the privilege of reading the sacred books and penetrating into the truths of religion. On the contrary it very nobly and boldly proclaims that Jainism is the common property af all, high and low, rich and poor, and that every one has the right of drinking at the fountain of knowledge revealed by the omnicient Tirthankars. Thus. Jainism has been the solace of millions of human beings and helped them in their evolution.
The essential criterion of Jainism has been its spirit of absolute toleration and nonpersecution The Jains never forced their religion
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com
