Aparigraha the Humane Solution

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 65

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION-RISK TO HUMAN SURVIVAL 57
So, is there any justification of the product (man) destroying the original source (nature), or the created destroying the creator?
The Jaina view
Jaina ethics, though known for its rigorous, stringent asceticism has a very wide ethical perspective for the householders or laity. In its twelve-fold scheme of vows of lesser strigency (aṇuvratas) for the householders; five are primary and the remaining seven are secondary. These first five aṇuvratas-non-violence, truth, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession if understood clearly can cover the remaining seven. In the seventh vow, known as 'upabhoga-paribhoga-parimaṇavrata (control of desire for too much consumption), there is a broad guideline for the householders to control his business ventures, hinting at environmental preservation. 'vaṇakamme' and 'fodikamme', out of the fifteen karmadanas suggest that a good householder should avoid indulging in cutting of forests and spoiling of land.
Gandhiji's approach
Gandhiji was an environmentalist of the first order. He was a man of great principles and conviction. Indian spiritualism, Gita and anāsakti were not just intellectual convictions for him, but his way of life. He did not find attraction in western materialism. He viewed man and universe or nature as interwoven, and very prophetically foresaw and warned the world of the monstrous consequences of the so-called 'development' which ignored the essential balance in the relation of man and nature. Every action of Gandhiji showed that he was a practising environmentalist, much before environment protection assumed importance in western world. Gandhiji's environmentalism was a product of his basic humanism. He was against large scale industrialisation, since he felt that it would create many expected and unexpected problems. He could foresee the problems of India and the entire world. He could foresee the exhaustion of scarce natural resources as the outcome of development. Gandhiji did not express his views on environmental protection formally, as he did not live in the situation of fifty years hence, so he could not lead a crusade to save rivers and forests for the future generations. The problems and challanges that are being faced in India