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EPILOGUE
95
more than this, though there is a lot of lip-service paid to the enhancement of respectability of environment and its protection.
The crux of this ironic situation is that consumerism is flourishing in reality and environmental-protection is only a pious slogan. It seems that the former would not let it go beyond this point since the edifice of economics and the grandeur of science and technology would not survive.
In this context of the parallel movement of the two contradictories (consumerism and environment-protection) aparigraha or icchaparimāņa, meaning limitation of desires, and corresponding limitation of possessions, with a very systematic code of conduct for monks as well as for the laity, has a very strong intellectual conviction and humane appeal. This must be realised, as this is the only humane solution However, it would be too optimistic to see it as a readily implementable solution, in a world where sheep are known for their herd-instinct but men are no less. There is a natural scepticism about its feasibility.
At this point, it seems necessary to list the difficulties likely to be faced in the actual implementation of aparigraha. Undoubtedly aparigraha has a very strong case for mental, spiritual and social environment, for the prolongation of life and peace for mankind. This can be corroborated by the fact that solutions have been offered from time to time, beginning with classical ethico-religious traditions to political theories such as socialism/communism, to Mahatma Gandhi's concept of trusteeship and sarvodaya. Earlier pages show the confidence in practicability of 'aparigraha' but doubts about its practical implementation in the present-day scenario keep bothering us off and on. Thus we may ask : (1) How do we determine the limits of our possessions and desires as individuals and as a society ? (2) What are the principles of justification of limits set? (3) Who will be the final authority to demarcate the limits? Where the individual is too weak as a force and where the society which functions arbitrarily rather than on the basis of a strong solid principle, and where the majority of people just follow others and what is in vogue. These questions make the seriousminded even more serious and even those having good intentions find themselves in a blind alley.
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