Development And Impact Of Jainism In India And Abroad

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Arham Spiritual Center

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Jain Diaspora
Padmashree Dr. Kumarpal Desai Institute of Jainology - London - Ahmedabad
The brave hearts of any community are not confined to one particular field. The Jain community, known for its enterprising spirit in business, has contributed significantly to a variety of fields. They set their foot in the uncharted Africa and then they spread their wings to myriad fields which include business, industry, management, computer technology and many others. One thing that stands out is the fact that the members of the Jain community, wherever they happen to live and work, adhere to certain principles such as ahimsa and anekant.The Jain tradition is a philosophical one and not an existential one - it is a tradition related to thought, behaviour and diet.
Therefore, it is necessary to grasp the essence of this tradition to make it part of one's own life. The Jain community will have to create its own distinct identity in the modern world. It is foresighted and traditional, yet modern. We talk of environment degradation today, elimination of pollution and digging of wells for storage of water, but the Jain religion dealt with these problems centuries ago.
Bhagwan Mahavir gave the message of uniting the whole world "Ekko hu manussa jai" and it is time for the community to unite and contribute to the creation of a non-violent world before it is too late. Or in the words of novelist Ernest Hemingway: "For whom the bells toll ?"Jain religion is one of the world's ancient religions. It has its own unique value-system, tenets and tradition. In times of Mahavir Swami, there were several religions and many of them do not exist today.
This reflects the resilience of the Jain religion. It has survived through the centuries. We have to recognise its inherent strength and through its medium, we have to organise ourselves into an integrated society. I wonder why this has not happened. Is it because the world is too much with us or are we indifferent?
The philosophy of Jain religion is so unique that it needs to be spread far and wide. For instance, it does not believe in conversion or aggression. Rather it believes in cooperation, harmony, consensus, service, surrender etc. This philosophy needs to be resuscitated and a campaign be launched for strengthening its base. Non-violence leads to fearlessness, friendship to humaneness. compassion to sensitivity and when we embark upon such a journey, then the jain culture will have its real justification. One is sadden at the thought that if we show apathy, we will have to pay a heavy price and the whole edifice of Jain religion will collapse and we will expose ourselves to ridicule. The community must remain united in terms of its tenets of non-violence and value-system and its approach to environment, life-style and business and commerce. The independence of Jains is not the one akin to India's independence from the British rule; their independence is the one which makes one rule for the soul. The society today is afflicted with violence and aggression in which values are trampled upon and universal truths are beings ignored. In such a scenario the Jain
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