Aparigraha the Humane Solution

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 9

Preface
The theme of aparigraha- the humane solution has been a subject of my interest for quite some time as a student of Indian ethics. I have always felt its importance and relevance in the modern society completely taken over by the present day consumeristic attitude being greatly fed by modern science and technology with its rapid advancement. The craze for newness is the order of the day. This is a society where the needs and wishes of the consumer are manufactured by the producer. Advertising stimulates the craze for consumption. This serious infection of consumerism has led to alarmingly great environmental loss. The well to do out of greed and the penniless out of the need are being cruel to our environmental assets. Thus, environmental degradation has become a burning issue.
As a genuine concerned member of a 'civilized' society, I was goaded by the desire to pen down my thoughts in these essays on related issues, from consumerism-the anti-human goal and environmental degration-a risk to human survival to aparigraha or icchā-parimāņa as the only humane solution.
Aparigraha is one of the five principles (pancaśīla) of Indian ethics, infact, it is one of the principles of universal ethics. All religious and ethical systems have emphasised the significance of this principle from both social and spiritual point of view. Its importance is substantiated by the testimony of various religious and ethical scriptures of the world. It is voluntary control on desires and possessions, in fact it is voluntary socialism; Which is good for this world as well as for the next. In modern times it has become fashionable to accuse religion since it talks too much about after-life or future. But a close look would reveal that some of our modern concepts of economics like 'development', 'progress', 'growth' also point towards 'future' refering only to immediate future but not to after - 'future', which is even more important.
Eminent economists, environmentalists have expressed their thoughts on these subjects in very prolific manner, who have greatly inspired and helped me to think on these related issues. An issue that shows concern for humanity is essentially ethical. Ethics does not have