1st Jain International Conference

Author(s): Jaina Jito Shrutratnakar
Publisher: Jaina Jito Shrutratnakar

Page 40

1st INTERNATIONAL JAIN CONFERENCE Contemporary relevance of Jainism for the welfare of human culture and Society G.C. Tripathi, Delhi In the long history of human race stretching out to many thousand years, there has perhaps never been a time when the cardinal principles of Jainism, especially its three fundamental tenets of Ahimsa, Aparigraha and Anekanta, were more relevant than they are today. There is no count of those millions of human beings who lost their lives in useless wars or internecine conflicts. However the mankind has learnt no lesson from them and the instinct of belligerence has not left us. The main causes for these conflicts have been --as is well known -to grab the wealth and the property of others, not being satisfied with what one already has, or just to kill the other simply because he holds different views about life, its purpose, about the world and its creator. Lack of tolerance for the religious views of the others and the arrogance to believe that what I think is the only and the absolute truth, has not seldom been a cause of foolish internecine wars. Whereas the principle of Ahimsa teaches to respect the right to live in case of all worldly beings including ones enemies, the Anekanta teaches to respect the views of others , even of your opposites, because the Truth may have many facets. At the same time it makes you humble, helps you shed your arrogance and avoids conflict on religious ground, The Greed that led to wars in ancient times , makes itself manifest today in the limitless exploitation of the resources of the Mother-Earth without thinking of the needs and requirements of our future generations. 75% of total resources are consumed today by just 25% of the inhabitants of affluent countries, much less remains for the rest. There should be an end to this excessive consumerism. The tenet of Aparigraha, if properly adopted and practiced, shall curb this limitless greed of human beings and will teach us to live a happy and contented life with what we have,