Emperor Samprati Diwakar Chitrakatha 044

Author(s): Jinottamsuri, Shreechand Surana
Publisher: Mahavir Seva Trust Mumbai

Page 36

It is needless to say that the answers to these questions are different for different class of people. There are two classes of people who think in two different ways. There is one class that asks every morning "what should I do to become hungry? (Kya kare to bhuk lage ?) and there is another class that asks" what should I do when I become hungry? (Bhuk lage to kya kare?). In any given situation neither one seems to be happy. So where is the happiness? More than 80% of mankind toils for food, shelter and protection and yet many of them go to bed hungry. There is another small percent that is affluent and simply wallows in luxury. What a disparity in the lives of the two ! One has plenty and the other is empty.
Those whose conscience is still alive and awake are compassionate and say, how can we be happy when the world is full of misery, pain, and suffering ? How can we be happy when there is so much stress, tension and chaotic disorder ? Animals suffer from human abuse and torture. Children suffer from mal-nutrition and child abuse. The poor from poverty and hunger. The rich suffer from desire, greed and disease, and the rest of the world suffer from dehumanizing war and violence. Where is the happiness that we are looking for? Is it in the material gain that the modern world is throwing at us, or is it in the wiping of the tears of the suffering and the aching ? We are all pretending that we are happy, but are we really ? Or are we living under an anesthesia that has numbed us towards the pain of others? I think there is a corner in every heart that hurts and cries, but very few have time and understanding to listen to that inner voice. It is time to pause for a moment and reflect back on our past, so that we may change our future.
To get a fresh outlook to life, one must turn towards the philosophy of Jainism as practiced and propounded by Lord Mahavir. It has profound answers to our questions. It is founded on the law of reverence for all life (Ahinsa), relativity in thinking (Syadavada), law of cause and effect (theory of Karmas), law of non-acquisition (Aparigraha), and law
of compassion (Karuna) through non-violence in thoughts, words and action which is its basic tenets. It has also emphasized the idea of tolerance and noninterference as its teachings. These perennial principles of Lord Mahavir are the avenues to health, healing, harmony, peace and love. They were useful thousands of years ago and will be useful for many millennia to come. In this way, putting the teachings of Jainism into practice one can renew one's connectivity to that ancient source of teaching and live in harmony with oneself and in harmony with the rest of the world.
In these trying times, the world is now looking for a happier, brighter future for living-beings. Let us therefore work collectively for the betterment of the whole universe by changing our focus from 'I' to 'We'. For if we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep getting what we are getting.
S omeone has beautifully said that, "I expect to pass this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way
The message of the new dawn is for all of us but youth in particular, who is the hope of tomorrow. They will help the way society thinks and feels. For, tomorrow belongs to the youth, youth that holds the promise of the future. They are the symbol of energy and zeal, openness and compassion, creativity and innovation. They have time and vigor to carry on and give life to the ancient heritage of reverence for life, understand and practice the wisdom of the seers and use the insights of the enlightened masters. They are the torch bearers and trend setters of peace, progress and prosperity for the present and future generation.
So let us all think globally and act locally, making a difference in every moment of the millennium and be aware of our glorious spiritual wealth by arising, awaking and work and not stopping until the goal is reached.
Jai Jinendra Pramoda Chitrabhanu