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of gratitude and courtesy. Because just as all the species depend on us, we equally depend on them. Any abuse or violence of the ecology is bound to react, sooner or later, with vengeance against the human being. The principle of interdependence, therefore, is not only a command but also a warning to the humanity. This principle of 'Parasparopagraho Jivanam' teaches us not only to "live and let live" but also to "let live so that we can live." Albert Schweitzer and a number of philosophers, ecologists, and thinkers have said that Man, due to his selfish activities, will meet his end by destroying himself and destroying the earth. It is, therefore, necessary that we consider the entire ecological system with love and regard, compassion and reverence, tolerance and sympathy, freedom and equality, and grace and harmony. The United Nations World Charter of Nature has given this message. The Jain Declaration of Nature, which was presented to HRH Prince Philips, has given the message of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the principle of interdependence. Jain philosophy regards non-violence and ecological harmony as two sides of the same coin. Bhagawan Mahavira proclaimed a profound truth for all times to come when he said, "One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water, and vegetation disregards his own existence which is entwined with them." In other words, all aspects of nature are bound in physical as well as metaphysical relationship.
Ahimsa or non-violence is one other very unique and important facet of Jainism. It aims at the welfare of all living beings, and not of humans alone. It maintains that living beings are infinite in number; the apparent empty space in the universe is filled with minute living beings. According to it, there are countless single-sense organisms that take the subtlest possible units of material elements - earth, water, fire, and air — as their bodies. Fresh water from a well is alive but when it is polluted or influenced by mixing some other substance it becomes dead. All plants do have life but when they are dried, cut, or cooked they die. To avoid injury to them as far as possi
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ble, humans are advised to use them discreetly. We should resist from polluting water, air, vegetation, etc., and thereby perpetrating violence on worms, insects, animals, vegetation, etc. because they all help in keeping the ecological balance.
Let us see some facts that scientists have compiled related to the present situation of life. According to The World Conservation Union, published in October 2002, 11,167 species of plants and animals are known to be endangered or threatened and face a high risk of extinction in the near future. Over 7,000 experts throughout the world assembled the study. Among their findings 811 species have disappeared since the 1500s, many entirely, and some survive only int artificial habitats such as zoos. There is no known estimate of how many species of living things have become extinct today or since animals first begin to appear on Earth. According to the World Resources Institute, more than 100 species become extinct every day due to tropical defor estation. It is the rain forests that contain more than half of all living things, and there are many species that we never discovered that have succumbed to extinction. By the year 2025, Earth could lose as many as one-fifth of all species known to exist today, always as a result of human activities.
Jain ecological consciousness is grounded in a judicious blend of divine holism and vision of non-exploitative science and technology. This scientific approach, reasoning, and practices prescribed by the Jain religion are thus highly relevant today when environmental concerns are on the top of human agenda. The survival of Earth, along with that of all the species on it, is reliant upon the harmony of its existence among billions of other space objects. We must remember that we human beings too are a species among millions. We are all insignificant members of an insignificant species on an insignificant planet in an infinite Universe of infinite time and space. Realization of this Jain theory of cosmology will make us humble in all spheres of life.
Satish Kumar, the Editor of Resurgence
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