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JAINA CONVENTION 2011
"Live and Help Live"
Live and HELP Live
Sudhir M Shah
Sudhir M. Shah chairs the JAINA Exhibition Committee. He has been involved in Jain education for over a decade and has authored many articles and presentations. He is a social entrepreneur and founder of an all natural cruelty free consumer products company. He can be reached at 203-915-5728 E-mail: sudhir@anekant.org
Theories of quantum physics assert that we are all connected, that what we think, say or do have far reaching effects even across the oceans. So it is not only important that we engage in helping others... it is a requirement, for our own growth and happiness.
obstacle that comes in the way of our selfish wants. This has led to exercising "rights without without
responsibilities, pleasure without conscience, commerce without morality, science without humanity and politics without principles." - Gandhi. In the end, this only leads to emptiness and leaves our dried up soul longing for inner peace.
Live and HELP Live I like this year's theme of Jaina Convention, an empowering interpretation of ancient Jain aphorism "Parasparopgraho Jivanam". It is distinct from the conventional interpretation "live and let live" which tends to add a passive element to our living like 'leave others alone' or 'work on your own soul'. And yet, Acharya Vinoba Bhave clearly said: "Ahimsa is not merely non-participation in destructive activities; it principally manifests itself in constructive activities and service which leads to the upward growth of man".
"Parasparopgraho Jivanam" (All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence) is refreshingly contemporary in its premise and in its promise. It is the water for our soul and our spirit. It means that all aspects of nature belong together and are bound in a physical as well as a metaphysical relationship. Life is viewed as a gift of togetherness, accommodation and assistance in a universe teaming with interdependent constituents. This interdependent and interconnected reality is also supported by quantum physics. Using entanglement theory and time reversal symmetry it clearly demonstrates that we are all connected. What this means is that our anger for example, not only effects us but also can depress someone else thousands of miles away! Here is something to ponder, helping others live with dignity and respect is not only a nice thing to do but it is our obligation as a human being and imperative for our own spiritual growth and happiness!
Near our home we had a beautiful lily pond with pink and yellow lilies floating in the calm waters, fishes jumping up and down, frogs croaking, loons calling back and forth, birds nesting in the nearby shrubs, butterflies and dragonflies flying from one flower to another. It was a breathtaking site. One summer, with a severe drought, the pond had dried up completely. Do you know what was at the bottom of the pond? Rusty metal, old furniture parts, broken tires stuck in the mud etc... It just looked awful. It made me realize that we humans are the same way. When we are dried up, the worst parts of us show up. We need to be fulfilled.
Mahavir 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". Jain cosmology recognizes the fundamental natural phenomenon of symbiosis or mutual
In this society we have learned to encourage and strive for individualism and independence. We want to be 'in charge', we want to 'control'. We are willing to eliminate any
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