Conference on World Religions 1994 07 NY Queens

Author(s): Council for The Conference on World Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 57

Power of Thinking
People worry about the emission of pollution. There is so much pollution already, there is no need to add pollution of negativity, which can be worse than the environmental pollution itself. We have a very powerful instrument within us which we can use either to pollute or to create harmony. We have not realized the power of thinking, the power of sending positive vibrations, the power of emanating that energy which can go farther than laser beams. Try to see the miracle of your thoughts in your business, in your relations, in your communications, in your personal life. and the blessings will emanate. As the seed blossoms - breaking the ground of the earth - in the same way our positive, loving thoughts are going to break all negative grounds and will bring forth fragrant blossoms. But it depends upon our intensity and sincerity of assimilation of ahimsa.
Coming Together
Coming together is the beginning. As we meditate we come closer to one another. This beginning brings harmony, and we start to create a garden where each religion is a flower or a tree. Staying together is progress and working together is success. When we work, we practice. We put into life what we are thinking.
People ask me how to get along with various kinds of people. I answer, "The secret of getting along with people is tolerance of their point of view and consideration of your view." Generally, we tend to impose our point of view on others. Instead, let them express their beliefs. Let them express their feelings. Let them see. Let them come out. That way we can get along with people and there will be a bridge. We become co-creators of harmony.
Anekantavada teaches that we have to find out in what we agree with people and not in what we differ with them. Mahavira mentioned one sutra Paraspar Upgrho, Jivanam. Paraspar means mutual, Upgrho means help, and Jivanam means soul or living being. We are all bound together by mutual understanding and interdependence. Just like the five fingers on our hand, which are all different: one is small, one is big, one is tall. But at the time of work and at dinner, they all come together; there is harmony among all five. This is the beauty of co-existence.
Link with All Living Beings
Also, it has to be our effort, our endeavor to kindle this warmth of harmony. Man has to identify with his fellow beings whether human or otherwise. He has to realize his link with the rest of creation. When we talk of ahimsa or nonviolence, we do not merely mean abstinence from violence. We must see the link between ourselves and the humblest of creatures. If we see this link, then violence against even the smallest of creatures means violation of a basic moral law.
That is why vegetarianism is important in our lives. Vegetarianism is not just a dietary fad; it is a moral imperative that follows our acceptance of the sanctity of life. If we believe in love and compassion, we cannot negate these principles in any area of life. For the sake of our food, for the pleasures of our palate, can we allow ourselves to be inconsistent? Those who want to lead a holistic life, a life of moral consistency, vegetarianism becomes natural.
When we try to transform ourselves, we have to ask, "Can I transform myself in a vacuum?" The enlarging of our consciousness depends not just on what we read or contemplate. It depends on what we do in practice. If we wish to be humane, we have to
55
Jain Education Intermational 2010_03
Jain Education Interational 2010_03
Fo