________________
The present day social atmosphere is rampant with lust and carnality. Literature, plays, and movies all have sexual overtones. There is a profusion of crude and suggestive songs. The picturesque description and enticing presentations of all these deeply influence the young and juvenile population. Co-education provides a subtle encouragement to all this. Young women have accepted provocative dresses and makeup. The society is getting accustomed to such atmosphere. How fast the social mindset is adopting these changes can be observed in the cinema going public. Parents watch indecent and even obscene sequences in movies and discuss them later. The credit for the near-nude, tight, and revealing dresses goes to these movies only. Indian society is copying the European society very fast. This has led to agitation to allow nudity in movies. Legislation for divorce and abortion are being passed. Beautiful women are opting to become models and mods. Even religions that encourage youth towards salacity by giving message of meditation through sex are being founded.
There was a time when woman in India took the vow of Johar and jumped smiling into funeral pyre fit by them in order to protect their honour. It is painful to be a witness to the changed times when the same woman today tries to earn wealth by embracing men and doing indecent display of her body. Materialistic Europe is embracing spiritualism for peace and spiritualistic India is accepting the European carnality. The moral culture of India is dying and on its ashes is sprouting an immoral culture. The attitudes of abstinence are getting destroyed and those of luxury are thriving. To rise above this regressive trend the only means is the Jain code of vows. It is the responsibility of those who have faith in this code of vows to try to counter this onslaught of depravity. Mere preaching will not be able to stop this unhealthy march. Setting an example of translating the codes into one's own behaviour is the only means to prove the usefulness and importance of vows.
WORLD WARS
The history of wars is as old the world itself. Science has always been involved in inventing new equipment of war. Thus the shape and size of wars is also changing accordingly. Today mountains and seas are obstacles no more. The world is a village now. Science has made war terrible, costly and all destroying. Many nations of the world are
307
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
