Bhagvana Mahavira

Author(s): Tulsi Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 81

Relevance of Jaina Religion
73
lose sight of the equality of all souls under the pressure of passing situations and the confusion created by externalities. Lack of self-control creates an inegalitarian mentality. Bhagavān Mahāvīra said, "O man, you have been passing through the cycle of births from eternity in the course of which you have had relations of mother, father, son or brother etc. with each living being Then, whom will you treat as a friend or foe, higher or lower, beloved or despicable ? You have not been born only now, hence do not adopt a shortsighted view of things from a timeless perspective. Your soul is eternal and therefore you should try to experience the relationship between all souls. Try to control your mind by practising concentration. By doing so, you will attain equality at all levels--of principle, nature and mind. Once you attain equality, you will master ahińsä. Where there is equality, there is non-violence. Both are proportionate to each other.
Equality means equanimity which excludes love and hatred, attachment and aversion, inclination and disioclination. The behaviour of an individual, whose conscience is entrenched in equality or equanimity does not smack of preferential treatment. So also the set-up of a society based on egalitarianism is free from all sorts of discriminations.
Bhagavān Mahāvīra said, “Nobody likes suffering. Therefore don't inflict suffering to anybody. This is nonviolence, this is equality. It is enough for you to understand this. To understand non-violence in order to understand -equality and vice versa is the summum bonum of all knowledge."
Non-violence and Co-existence
Our thoughts may be divided into two categories : identical, i.e., thoughts which we share with others and different, i.e. thoughts which we do not share with others. We like to live with those who have identical thoughts and ideas