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ahimsa. They have to come from within. If the ahimsa way of life is so good, and if it has been propagated by an omniscient being, it has to have real benefits that will become strong incentives. It is our own weakness.that we are not able to comprehend ahimsa fully and interpret it to suit the present day requirements. Everyone who claims to be the follower of the ahimsa way of life should start working on the lines described here to find out how, and to what extant, ahimsa can become beneficial to the modern man.
Surprisingly enough, a group of London-based Jain youth has worked in this direction. They have realized the importance of Jain principles and their useful application in social life. They have developed a method for the application of the Jain system of religious practices to their normal social life. It is a practical approach and should be emulated by all Jains. (Some portions from their booklet Experiments with Jainism by Atul K. Shah are included here as appendix.)
CONCLUSION
The search for peace essentially thrives in an atmosphere of reconciliation and forgiveness. Entering into any argument or debate, or discussions about contentious issues, should be carefully and consciously avoided, especially by people who know that they can be swayed by sentiments. This is because any hardening of attitude is antithetic to compromises and peaceful solutions. If we want others to respect our viewpoint, we should first prepare ourselves to respect viewpoints of others. Mahavir's Anekant-vaad or relativity of truth, an extension of the ahimsa attitude, effectively propels us in this direction.
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