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sole end of life. Jainas, all the time, consider wealth as a means to lead a life and not a destination. In Uttaradhyayana sutra it has been rightly observed "that no one that is unaware of treasurer of one's own protects one-self by wealth. But it does not mean that Jaina acaryas do not realise the importance of wealth in life. Acharya Amratacandra maintains that the property or wealth is an external vitality of man. One who deprives a person of his wealth commits violence. Jainas accept the utility of wealth, the only thing which they want to say is that wealth is always a means and it should not be considered as an end. No doubt wealth is considered as a means by materialist and spiritualist as well, the only difference is that for materialist it is a means to lead a luxurious life while for spiritualist, as well as Jainas, it is a means to the welfare of human society and not for one's own enjoyment. The accumulation of wealth in itself is not an evil but it is the attachment towards its hording and lust for enjoyment, which makes it an evil. If we want to save the humanity from class-conflicts, we will have to accept self imposed limitation of our possessions and modes of consumption. That is why Lord Mahavira has propounded the vow of complete non-possession for monks and nuns and vow of limitation of possession for laities. Secondly, to have a check on our luxurious
life and modes of consumption. He prescribed the vow of limitation in consumption. The property and wealth should be used for the welfare of humanity and to
serve the needy, he prescribed the vow of charity named as Atithi samvibhaga. It shows that charity is not and obligation towards the monks and weaker sections of society but through charity we give them what is their right. In Jainism it is the pious duty of a householder to fix a limit to his possessions as well as for his consumption and to use his extra money for the service of mankind. It is through the observation of these vows that we can restore peace and harmony in human society and eradicate economic inequality and
class conflicts.
Problem of the Preservation of Ecological Equilibrium
The world has been facing a number of problems such as mental tension, war and violence, ideological conflicts, economic inequality, political subjugation and class conflicts not only today but from its remore past.
જાન્યુઆરી - ૨૦૧૮
Though some of these have assumed and alarming proportion today, yet no doubt the most crucial problem of our age is, or for coming generation would be, that of ecological disbalance. Only a half century back we could not even think of it. But today every one is aware of the fact that ecological disbalance is directly related to the very survival of human race and it is due to the economically unlimitted using of the natural gitter air, water etc. Jainism is opposed to them. Non-attachment means Regard for Other's Necessities
As I have already mentioned that most burning problem of our age is the problem of mental tensions.
The nations, who claim more civilised and economi
cally more advanced, are much more in the grip of mental tensions. The main objective of jainism is to emancipate man from his sufferings and mental tensions. First of all we must know that what is the
cause of these mental tensions. For, Jainism, First of
all we must know that what is the cause of these mental tensions. For, Jainism, the basic human sufferings are not physical, but mental. These mental sufferings or tensions are due to the our attachment towards worldly objects. It is the attachment, which is fully responsible for them. The famous text Uttaradhyayana-sutra (32/9) mentions, "The root of all sufferings physical as well as mental. of everybody
including gods, is attachment towards the objects of worldly enjoyment." It is the attachment, which is the
root cause of mental tensions.
If mankind is to be freed from mental tensions it
is
necessary to grow a detached outlook in life. Jainism believes that the lesser will be the attachment the greater will be the mental piece. It is only whem attachment is vanished; the human mind will be free from mental tensions and emotional disorders. Jainism preaches the vow of complete non-possession for the ascetics and the vow to limit one's own possession for
the house-holders, which are technically called as aparigraha-mahavrata and parigrahaparimana-vrata respectively.
Aparigraha The Human Solution
Our age is the age of science and technology. Science and technology have done a great service to the mankind by providing amenities of pleasant living;
પ્રબુદ્ધજીવન
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