________________
MAHAVIRA AND ECONOMICS
1929
tub full of water and kept two stools close to it. Louis Fischer was made to sit on the stool. He experienced that the heat had subsided. He was delighted.
Thinking should be in accordance with prevailing times. In my view, everyone cannot be above wealth. But the current thinking about wealth will have to be changed. Then alone it would have meaning for all.
Violence and Wealth There is a basic question which needs to be addressed: How are non-violence and money related to each other? Whenever there is wealth, violence has become unavoidable. It has been said that wealth is the root of injustice. Whatever violence takes place is all basically for wealth. Wealth is not meant for violence.
At the time of Indo-Pakistan war, we were right in Delhi. At that time some professors of Delhi University came to meet us. They said, “Acharya Shri, you must have been facing a good dilemma. At present Bharat-Pak war is going on and you do not believe in violence". I said, “What are you saying? Are the Jains different from the nation? The nation's position is the position of Jains. Are all Jains sanyasis or' ascetics? Are Jains also not a part of the society? Is there no need for their security? If wealth is there, then violence would also be there. Jains have been emperors, Jains have been army commanders. They have fought several wars." They got some satisfaction with my reply.
Wherever there is wealth, there will be violence and unrest. Accordingly, Mahavira gave directions for limitation and moderation. With this, a brake is applied and expansion is controlled. Fifty years back this was not understood, but it is now being understood, as violence and unrest have increased considerably. Limitation of desires and wants is the real answer to these tendencies.
The Concept of Utility It should not be our standard that we accept all that is useful. What is useful can be accepted, but it is not wise to accept all that is useful. What is useful today may not remain so tomorrow.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
