________________
158
THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
One spiritual practitioner said, "Non-violence fails in war. One who is vowed to non-violence has no utility whatsoever in wartime."
I said, non-violence never fails, nor one who is given to nonviolence. What makes for failure is deficient effort. The fault lies with us who provide no training in non-violence. We have made no headway in that direction. With proper training in non-violence, an individualdcvclops in himself a great capacity for death. Whether on the war-front, or in any other battle of life, a person endowed with the capacity to die—one who has no fear of death-can never fail. The root cause of failure is love of life and fear of death. The man who is attached to life and scars death can never succeed, particularly on the battle-front. Only the inan who has ended all attachments and knows no fear of death, can be truly non-violent. Such a person never fails.
Does the soldier going to the battle-front proceed with the assurance that he will not die? Actually he knows that death is most probable, and it would be a great thing if he escapes. He is prepared for death at all times. It is his good luck if he escapes unhurt. What accounts for such an attitude on the part of the soldier? His training, the discipline he has undergone. From the day he enlists, his training starts and it continues for ever. Daily practice, theoretical instruction and training courses make him a fit soldier. A great deal of effort is devoted to training in violence. If even a half of that effort were devoted to training in non-violence, then these non-violent gallants could fight any war with perfect fearlessness. But today no training is imparted in non-violence, nor is there visible any concern for the proper training of persons embracing non-violence. It is generally believed that no such training is required. For proficiency in violence which is imposed from outside, some training is considered necessary; not for non-violence. This is obviously a delusion. For lack of training, truth is failing; likewise are failing the nonacquisitive spirit and brahmcharya. It may be said that all the
iths, the realities of life, are rendered futile for lack of proper instruction and training.
A Preksha Meditation camp provides training in spiritual development. There are three essential elements:
(1) the evolution of faith; (2) comprehension of the means thereto, and (3 regular practice
Whatever work a man undertakes to accomplish, if he has no faith in it, he can never succeed. The first condition of success is faith in the work being accomplished. If we have faith in whatever we propose to do, we succeed; if we work without faith, we are bound
to fail. Lack of faith in the thing to be done prognosticates failure. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
