Book Title: Family and Nation
Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya, A P J Abdulkalam
Publisher: Harper Publications India

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Page 144
________________ 130 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION To forgive and ask for forgiveness is an application of tolerance to be exercised by both parties involved in a conflict. It puts an end to the tension on both sides. It also mitigates bodily processes that weaken the immunity system.' People tend to handle Dharma very superficially. That is why Dharma is not benefitting people as it should. The philosophical foundation of Dharma is ultimately the purification of the soul. Emotional intelligence (bhava buddhi) constitutes the foundation of its applied form. It is also the foundation of health. Indeed the four pillars of health are: (1) friendliness; (2) a happy disposition that welcomes others' excellence without malice (pramoda-bhavana); (3) compassion; and (4) equanimity In politics, there is a maxim-no one is a foe or friend. If a person does not oppose the fulfilment of our selfishness, he is our friend; otherwise he is our foe. Political friendship is indeed a concord which is born out of selfishness and fear. Spiritual friendship is not like political friendship. It does not exist for any particular person. It is indeed a manifestation of one's own consciousness in the form of a positive feeling or attitude towards all. If there is friendliness, it is not for some but for all. It purges the subtle tension caused by selfishness and fear, thereby protecting and ensuring our health. Pramoda bhava arises from the pleasure one experiences on seeing the good fortune of others without any feeling of malice or jealousy. Jealousy is the antithesis of pramoda bhava. It is an emotional malice that leads to other diseases. However, it can come only in the absence of pramoda bhava. The disposition of compassion is fundamentally based on the spiritual doctrine of the reality of soul. All souls are equal and undergo similar experiences of happiness and unhappiness. If we follow this principle, how can we create suffering for anyone else? That is the philosophical basis of Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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