Gems of Jainism

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 96

JAINIASM, FUNDAMENTALISM AND
PEACEFUL SOCIETY
Introduction:
Let me come to the subject through a story, I read in a book on Value Education. Here is the story of a little black boy who was watching a balloon man at the country fair. The balloon man was attracting customers by releasing a red ba loon, a blue balloon, a yellow one and a white one. They all went soaring up in to the sky until they disappeared.
The little boy asked, “Sir, if you send the black one up, would it go as high as others?” The balloon man understanding the boy's question, snapped the.string that held the black balloon and as it soared upwards, he said, “It is not the colour, son. It's what is inside that makes it rise."
This story leads to a very fundamental understanding on which the entire day's talks will” depend, that it is not the worldly or material wealth surrounding us but the spiritual light that glows inside us which elevates us.
Today, my entire lalk has three aspects. You may call each one, in-a-way independent topic. In the beginning 1 will introduce Jainisrn to you. We will know what is Jainism with special reference to Jain a way of life. The second talk deals with meaning and consequences of fundamentalism. This we will deal with reference