Ahimsa the Ultimate Winner

Author(s): N P Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 92

Conservation ethics is being grossly neglected and violated. It is only the spread of the culture of non-violence that can bring a lasting change in this cruel and violent habit and addiction. Consumers need to be convinced with love and reasoning that they need to give up such “tastes” which, in the ultimate analysis, go against the interest of humanity and the universe.
UN Earth Summit held at Rio-de-Janeiro in Brazil in June 1992 eloquently focused on “the rape of our planet". World's forest are being recklessly destroyed, rivers, lakes, oceans being polluted, wild life is becoming extinct, land is become barren, march of desert is getting accelerated, an depleting ozone layer threatens global warming and climate change. Jain philosophy emphasizes that if the plane's life support system does not survive, it would threaten the very survival of humanity.
The Rio declaration adopted by the Sacred Earth Gathering of over sixty leading spiritual and religious leaders of the world very significantly incorporates the Jain thought:
"We believe that the universe is sacred because all is one. We believe in the sanctity and the integrity of all life forms. We affirm the principles of peace and nonviolence in governing human behavior towards one
another and all life".
Jain ecological consciousness is grounded in a judicious blend of divine holism and vision of non-exploitative science and technology. Instead of ignoring or side tracking one another, religion and science must go hand in hand and chart a single path to guide humans spiritually in the direction of preservation of our planet and conservation of its resources. The scientific approach, reasoning and practices prescribed by Jain religion are, thus highly relevant today when environmental concerns are on the top of human agenda.
Jain philosophy exhorts and inspires human beings to become the spiritual agents for preserving the grace and dignity
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner
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