Economics of Mahaveera

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Adarsh Sahitya Sangh

Page 38

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ECONOMICS OF MAHAVIRA
person would be violent, furious, mean, cunning, insolent; wicked. Mahavira has given the interesting picture of the nature of a mahechha type of person. Such a person will not give consideration to anything. If it is in his self-interest, he would not hesitate even to kill anybody.
Today, many innocent and mute animals and birds are being killed mercilessly for the production of luxuries and cosmetics. In the manufacture of a number of articles, products from bodies of animals which are killed, have to be used. For exporting meat. numerous butcheries have to be established killing millions of living birds and animals. Everything is being done for money. Enormous money cannot be earned without so much of violence and fury. Cheating, manipulation, fraud — all these have to be committed. False accounts, bribery, threat, murder, abduction - all these activities are pursued. All this is associated with the group with great and multiple wants, which is being overwhelmed by the urge for acquisition.
It is indeed difficult to visualise how, having expanded wants and the image for acquisition: one can be saved from evil tendencies. It is imperative that we think of welfare along with what is pleasant. Without controlling wants and limiting desires, we cannot achieve welfare.
Alpechha — Man with Few Wants Alpechha does have desires, but these are limited. Such a person would set up a factory, but he would not accumulate too much capital for himself. Policy of decentralised economy and decentralised power, about which Mahatma Gandhi talked, is the reiteration of what Mahavira called few desires, few wants. Mahavira said dhammenam vitte kappemana — that a person with a few wants earns his living virtuously.
We have two concepts before us — alpechha (a person with limited wants, and mahechha (a person with many wants). One leads life unethically. Being ethical is to possess compassion. I may mention here about the devoted disciple of Mahavira, Saravake Shrimad Rajchandra, who gave the basic mantra of ahimsa to Mahatma Gandhi and who received enlightenment