Non Violence A Scientific Reality and an Antidote to Barbarism

SR No.: 269157
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T U Mehta
Publisher: T U Mehta
Total Pages: 3
Language: English
Classification: Article & 0_not_categorized
File Size: 19 KB

Page 1

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NON-VIOLENCE-A SCIENTIFIC REALITY AND AN ANTIDOTE TO BARBARISM.
It is believed that in our planet the earliest man of Paleolithic culture lived in India some 200,000 years ago - the period when man led the life of a savage. The art of agriculture was not known then and as a good hunter the human being was completely non vegetarian. His thinking and living were barbaric; But as humanity progressed, the thinking of human mind also progressed and human society developed the art f discrimination between good and evil which is totally absent in the life of animals. The existence of reason and logic is the only feature which distinguishes the human beings from the rest of the animal world. Emergence of the principle of non violence (Ahimsa) took the human society to new heights of cultural development. Thus non violence is not only a religion creed but is also a sure sign of cultural development.
COSMIC DEMOCRACY.
When in my book "Path of Arhat" I described Jainism as a "Religious Democracy", some of my friends told me that religion and secular concept of democracy cannot go together. This view arises out of the belief that the concept of democracy is limited only to the political field. This is not correct. The concept of democracy is comprehensive enough to cover all situations wherein all individual units covered by it, are treated on equal footing and have the liberty to expand and progress in their own way.
Being a way of life, Jainism looks at the universe as one integrated cosmic mechanism wherein the life of even a microscopic atom has a recognized role to play. Therefore every sentient being, however small it may be, it has a right to exist, to develop and to attain the highest stage of salvation that the great Tirthankars have achieved. In other words, the potentiality for the achievement of Siddhahood in the Jiva of a the blade of grass is the same as in the Jiva of Lord Mahavira himself. Thus so far as the potential to achieve the last step in the ladder of liberty is the same for every Jiva which means that one soul is equal to every soul.
ALL MATTERS CONTAIN SOUL.
It is for this reason that Mahavira stated:-"One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water or vegetation disregards his own existence. When you kill others you kill your self as you are as much part and parcel of the universal scheme as those killed by you. Therefore a true Jain would never derive devilish delight in destroying innocent lives. The German philosopher Niethche believed against such violence when he said, "humans are the most in human of all animals".
Michael Tobias, former professor of Ecology and Humanities, rightly notes in his book "Life Force":- "Most crucially, Mahavira adopted what Greeks would later term a "hylozoistc" approach