Bhagavana Mahavira and his Relevance in Modern Times

Author(s): Narendra Bhanavat, Prem Suman Jain, V P Bhatt
Publisher: Akhil Bharat Varshiya Sadhumargi Jain Sangh

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Mahāvīra and His Relevance
of every living being. Thus he pushed the Jain religion beyond space and time. That is why the religion preached and propagated by Mahāvīra could not loose its impact upon the world which has been constantly changing for the last two thousand years.
According to some people the present world is altogether changed. Changes in the norms of society, deterioration of values, culture of disbeliefs, life full of hindrances and harassments, deprivations and corrupt-politics, medium of communication and the problem of languages, attachment towards materialism etc. are the factors which are to be held responsible for changes in the modern world. But if viewed from the view-point of Bhagavān Mahāvira, nothing has changed. Such circumstances, on the contrary, broadened the outlook of Jaina religion. The same is the case with Buddhism also. However, some difference may be noticed between the peoples of those days and those of today. During that time a particular section of society was influenced by them viz., prosperous persons and outstanding thinkers only were endeavouring to explore permanent values of life. Rest of the people followed suit. But today every individual is contributing to the changing world. He is so much disgusted with the traditional beliefs and values that he is adoring the universal values of life which will lead him to the place which is free from evils of today's life. Bhagavān Mahāvira's religion is the religion of the people as, in it, are rooted his basic teachings for the welfare of the people. Hence, today his principles are extremely useful.
Ahimsā finds its supreme place in the religion of Bhagvān Mahāvira. It has been interpreted in different ways by many. Today everybody is a revolutionary in one way or the other for, he is experiencing bitter aspects of modern life. He is determined to change everything including the very system of the society which obstructs his share coming down to him. With the result, violence is committed. He resorts to destructive activities. But the changes brought about by such means are bound to be impermanent. Violence spreads over the entire society and annihilates it consequently.
Definitions of non-violence such as “Abstaining from killing any living being,” “Abstaining from eating meat” etc. are too inadequate today to comprehend fully the manyfold types of it. The thought of otherness has so much developed that one commits