Economics of Mahaveera

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

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ECONOMICS OF MAHAVIRA
Alternative Scenario Another profile of society is one with controlled desires, controlled wants and controlled consumption. One who has controlled his wants would never become unhappy. He knows that he can never get all he wants. As a corollary, by controlling his wants he closes the door of unhappiness. .
The primary needs of life do not bother a person. The wants which harass are those which are generated artificially by imaginary needs. These needs create an attraction or fascination for certain articles of consumption. Eventually, the temptation takes the dominant position and the needs lose their meaning.
Mentality of Enjoyment Acharya Pujyapad has written with deep implications:
Prarambhe tapkan praptou atriptti propadkan Ante sudushtyajan kamanu kamakh serate sudhi
Passion or lust has three dimensions: excitement, discontentment and reluctance to forgo. In the initial stage, articles of consumption generate excitement. During the period of enjoyment, it yields discontentment. Today's developed countries are the reflection of this discontentment. Those which are called developed have earned a lot of wealth. They have earned it actuated by the thought that this would lead to mental contentment. But today, discontentment has increased to an extent that there prevails confusion leading to loss of direction. The people of developed countries are running hither and thither in search of mental peace. Discontentment compels them to exacerbate more consumption. This inflated consumption forms itself into an addiction. It then becomes difficult to abandon it. Man knows that it is not essential to eat ice-cream but a temptation has been generated for it. Man makes an effort to get it. Even a poor man spends money to enjoy it. He does not get full satisfaction by eating it once. He eats for the second time, eats it for the third time and ultimately