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"Extending Jain Heritage to the Next Generation"
Jainism: A Philosophical Position, A Call for Action and A Technology for Peace
By Ushama Shah First Prize, Group 2 - College Students
As conception of true democracy, sertion that we bear the burden of our America there are few individuals who can equality and compassion for our co-inhab- worlds; like Jean-Paul Sartre, Jain thinkers find a way to live that cautiously. Our itants on earth seem to drift further away would argue that the theory of a God who worlds and our lifestyles have changed, from realities in which we exist, as free- drives all of our actions is naive, a crutch, yet we still call ourselves Jains. dom becomes the right to bear arms and and act of Bad Faith. Jains reject the posi- Now, we must reaffirm our faith in the mass devastation in the Middle East is tion that all things are fixed and immobi- harmony, respect, peace and ethical existpassively justified and accepted as the lized by the force of "nature" as this beliefence embodied in a life which honors and "spreading of democracy," as we begin to would leave humans stagnant and practices ahimsa. And we must redefine slip into a state in which we believe we are uninfluential in the making and remaking what this means to us in the context of the living ethically when really we are ratio- of our own lives.
present world. Indeed in many important nalizing and apathetic to the injustices An examination of the five main prin- respects this is an inward process of reflecwhich plague, threaten and blacken our ciples illustrates that the path to practicing tion. But we must be willing to take the world there is an urgency for reflection, for Jainism is an active quest, not a passive next step after defining our philosophy and action and for a new hegemony.
motion, for the ethical life: (1) Ahimsa, understanding to practice in our day to day In our minds, world travesties verge non-violence and the positive kindness to lives. Just as centuries ago Vardhamana on being fictional. Sure we cringe for a all creatures; (2) charity and truth-speak- insisted that we should not injure life moment at the Newsweek cover photo of ing; (3) non-stealing; (4) chastity; (5) re- whether in sport or in sacrifice, just as Jain the hunger smeared three-year-old Kurdish nunciation of worldly attachments. Ac- ancestors actively protested the notion that girl with vivid yet empty, questioning tions such as giving food to the hungry, the devotion to God is represented by saceyes—but then the microwave buzzes, the water to the deserving, clothes to the poor, rifice of our life, we must be active participhone rings or we hear a voice, "C'mon which lead to peace of mind, are punya and pants in our image of Jainism, in the dewe;re going to be late" and that moment of positive elements in our lives. Ahimsa, on fense of ahimsa and in an outward rejection sympathy, or perhaps guilt, or perhaps the other hand, is the infliction of suffering of any policy or action, any war or cclebraanger is forgotten, an anomalous moment and the source of papa. Characteristics tion of sinful death, which runs counter to of meaning buried and suffocated by the such as anger, conceit andavarice limitour the principle of non-violence. "more important things we have to do." ability to see beyond the surface qualities So how does Jainism provide a techSure we discuss these pressing issues of of the world; whereas patience, simplicitynology for peace? Within the five prinmass starvation and inhumane oppression and contentment allow us to see a truer ciples which define the practice of Jainism: while sipping tea at our friend's house after vision and meaning. And as Jains, when ahimsa, truth-speaking, non-stealing, a dinner which satisfies US RDA's recom- we sin, we are not hurting God- but chastity and non-attachment, there is an mended daily allowances. Sure we genu- ourselves and our fellow humans.
active and tangible harmony. If the world inely shake our heads in disgust, comment In discussing Jainism we must recog- bclicved in and practiced these principles, and forecast on the evil situations in the nize that an essential characteristic of this peace and equality would prevail. But we world- but then homework or tax forms philosophy is that it must mesh with real- are nowhere near that kind of utopia and need to be completed so we take the last sipity, an understanding based on logic and we have a long way to go before we get of tea, wave a pleasant goodbye and drive experience. Therefore, there is also in there. As the consciozus individuals that back into our isolated lives. We believe Jainism a kind of elastic clause which Jainism demands we become, we must that the world situation is out of our influ- allows us to modify it to our world situa- find our role in this movement toward ence and not our responsibility. But Jainism tion. We must be conscious of what this peace. And as the active participants in life demands more of us.
means in our time. At one point in history, that Jainism demands webccome, we must Opposed to all theories which deny in accordance with the ahimsa command take a grassroots approach to breaking out our ethical interest, Jainism is rooted in the ment, to be Jain was to walk carefully so as of suburban passivity by discussing vegbelief that we are responsible for our worlds. not to hurt any insects which may travel on etarianism and non-violence with coTheories of Creation which suggest that the ground below, and to be Jain was to workers and friends, by understanding that the world was made and is maintained by avoid work in the fields as the upturning of the principles of Jainism do not exclude God run counter to the Jain emphasis on soil inevitably disturbs the existence of other religious beliefs but co-exist with individual, human responsibility. Unable living things. In fact, this is the reason that any search for an ethical life and peaceful to account for the origin of the cessation of Jains mainly engaged in business or trade. existence and by acting on issues and realsuffering, such theories of Creation are However, there are few Jain individuals izing the potential of our effort. criticized by Jain thinkers. In this way nowadays who are so cautious and particuphilosophy parallels the existentialist as- lar about where they step, etc. Especially in
16TH BIENNIAL JAINA CONVENTION
JULY 1991
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