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well lead to fertile belts turning arid and rising sea levels threatening 60 odd island nations like Maldives. It is a welcome augury that in the Rio declaration adopted by the Sacred Earth Gathering of over sixty leading representatives of all major religions and faiths the Jain Philosophy been endorsed in the following words:
"We believe that the universe is sacred because all is one. We believe in the Sanctity and the integrity of all life and forms. We affirm the principles of peace and non-violence in governing human behaviour towards one another and all life.
We view ecological disruption as a violent intervention into the ways of life. Genetic engineering threatens the very fabric of life. We urge governments, scientists and industry to refrain from rushing into genetic manipulation."
In its environmental consciousness, Jain philosophy is at once rational and wide-ranging. In the Jain view, ecological consciousness must be grounded in a judicious mix of divine holism and a vision of ethically inspired science and technology. Religion and science should go hand-in-hand to chart a single path to guide humans in the direction of preservation of our planet and conservation of its bounties. Humans must become the spiritual agents who restore and preserve the grace and dignity of Mother Earth and enhance the capacity, productivity and vitality of natural surroundings. After all, humans, nature and other living beings are a part of an organic whole-oneness which not only Jain, but other religions have also preached from times immemorial.
The message of Jainism with its emphasis on non-violence and compassion becomes highly relevant at a time when humanity, nature as well as other species are beleaguered with ecological degradation of an unparalleled magnitude. If we do not act now with wisdom, circumspection and foresight, we will end up destroying the entire edifice of civilized and cultured: life, which we have painstakingly built up over the centuries for our happiness, comfort, advancement Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner ★ (169)
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