Book Title: Gandhis Teachers Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
Author(s): Satish Sharma
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyapith Ahmedabad

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Page 238
________________ 220 Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta oppression of any kind. These should be offered active but nonviolent resistance. * Sought solutions to the problems should be just, holistic, and permanent. They should deliver equal justice to all and not mere exchange of places between the advantaged and disadvantaged. * Individual is fundamental unit of the social order and the focus of all welfare planning and policy-making. Societal welfare should come through the goals and planning for individual welfare. * Welfare planning and policy-making should involve all citizens and the rewards should be egalitarian and equal. The greatest good of greatest number of people, as in Western utilitarian thought, is not enough. * Welfare planning and policy-making should be holistic, balanced, and should cover physical, mental, moral, and spiritual dimensions of living. * Welfare planning and policy-making should have noble goals. The chosen means are as important as the goals. Welfare planning and policy-making should follow the principles of Truth, Ahimsa, simplicity, and compassion. These principles should be followed sincerely and at the thought, word, and deed levels. * Welfare of the societies should evolve spontaneously and naturally through daily conduct of the citizens. Legislative and political encroachments in this regard should be as few as possible. Character-building is an important aspect of societal development and of welfare planning and policy-making. Character-building is attainted through a genuine effort for: 1) choosing personal attitudes, orientations, goals, and modes of conduct according to the societal goal of a happy and satisfying life for all, 2) developing attitudes of cooperation, other-orientation, and self-sacrifice at all levels, 3) following the principle of Truth, Ahimsa, simplicity, compassion, chastity, control of the palate, nonpossession, non-stealing, fearlessness, tolerance of Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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