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Individual and society
is always somebody else's selfishness and never our own. Even in an unthinking moment, one does not accept the truth that his selfishness is the reason for his sorrows. In trying to veil his own selfishness, he is trapped in a vicious cycle of self-destruction, born out of ignorance and delusion. Such ignorance and false ambition drag him down to the hell of discord and endless suffering.
What exactly are heaven and hell? Not realizing that the reasons for suffering are one's own selfishness and desire, and instead blaming it on another - such ignorance is hell. Accepting this truth and expressing it in conduct - such wisdom is heaven. When you will admit without any pride that all your unhappiness is the result of your own selfishness, you will enter the path of wisdom.
The pursuit of selfishness is hell. The relinquishment of selfishness is heaven. When a person insists on fulfilling his desires, he becomes the cause of not just his own sufferings, but also of others who are linked to him and influenced by him. Blinded by his desires, he forgets that just like him, others too have their needs and desires, and attending to them is his duty as well. So the wise proclaim that the self blindly sinks into all its gratifications and yet never finds any contentment.
The only remedy is to go beyond the limitation of the self and reach out to others. As the wise proclaim:
Learn to desire for others what you desire for yourself and never desire for others what you do not desire for yourself. This is the essence of Jaina religion.
Themessageofnon-violencethatwastaught by Lord Mahāvīra two thousand five hundred years ago stands untarnished even today. Even more so, because in today's democratic context, where the world has become one unit, its importance has become more relevant. The Great Seer realized that no person can retain an identity alienated from society. He needs people around him to enjoy life and to experience the joys of interaction. So, if man
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jam icchasi appanato, jam ca ņa icchasi appaņato tam iccha parassa vi, ettiyagam jinasāsanayam -- Bruhatkalpa Bhāşya -- 4584
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