Introduction to Jainism

Author(s): Rudi Jansma, Sneh Rani Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
More precisely, according to the dictionary, environment is defined as “the surrounding conditions, influences or forces that influence or modify the whole complex of climatic, edaphic (soil related) and biotic factors that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival” (Webster's Third New International Dictionary).
The highly evolved human race has been adding various new and potent factors to this already complex system. Social, religious, political, and economic are prominent among these. Although all these factors evolve according to the physical environment of a specific group, they in turn influence and change the physical environment with ever increasing interference in the natural conditions. These changes can be both constructive and destructive.
When we look into the history of the human race we find that in the beginning each and every way of living or life style was intimately connected with and influenced by the environment, knowingly or unknowingly. That man has been driven by greed since the very beginning cannot be denied. Even primitive societies had groups who plundered the available resources and damaged their surroundings. However, the combined efforts even of all such groups around the world were almost insignificant. Even in those times there were people who were sensitive to the harm they could do to nature and the harm that nature could do to them in turn.
Human life continues to exist under the diverse and divergent influences of innumerable forces and variables of nature, society and circumstances. The same is true for every form of life and that is its natural destiny or fate. As long as we are not wise enough to think, analyze and understand the complexities of nature we remain unaware of these conflicting forces. This is because they are generally in a dynamic balance. Our awareness is triggered only when this multidimensional dynamic balance is slightly disturbed for a certain period. Man has been working hard to fully understand this balanced state since he first opened his eyes.