JAINA Convention 2009 07 Los Angeles

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 39

15th Biennial JAINA Convention 2009
Ecology - The Jain Way
Here are some quotes from the Acharanaga Sutra:
take care of all other life on earth including the endangered human species!
Mahavir blamed desire for ownership and accumulation as the single major cause of violence. Desire for ownership is tantamount to attachment.
"See! There are beings individually embodied in earth; not one all-soul). See! There are men who control themselves ... ... ... ... because one destroys this (earth-body) by bad and injurious doings, and many other beings, besides, which he hurts by means of earth, through his doing acts relating to earth." 1.1.2. (2)
Here are some quotations related to the second precept of aparigraha from Saman Suttam, a collection of verses from diverse Jain scriptures:
"He who injures these (earth-bodies) does not "Owing to attachment, a person commits violence, comprehend and renounce the sinful acts; he who tells lies, commits theft, indulges in sex and does not injure these, comprehends and develops a wish for unlimited hoarding." (140) renounces the sinful acts. Knowing them, a wise man should not act sinfully towards earth, nor "A person, who hoards even the slightest amount cause others to act so, nor allow others to act so. of an animate or inanimate thing or gives consent He, who knows these causes of sin relating to to someone for hoarding, will not escape from earth, is called a reward-knowing sage. Thus I misery." (141) say." 1.1.2. (6)
Desire for ownership drives our action for The messages are repeated for (2) water, (3) fire, acquisition. (4) plants, (5) mobile life and (6) wind. Thus, Intensity of the desire generates intensity in the Mahavir has preached total protection of the action. natural elements of ecology as well as human and Intensity can be directly related to irrationality. sub-human life. He also warns that violence Irrationality leads to anger, greed, deceit, ego, against any one is violence against all life forms. falsehood, stealing, adultery, destruction,
pollution, terrorism and other vices. 1.2.6.(1): "He who perfectly understands (what has been said in the preceding lesson) and follows When one becomes engrossed in the thought of the (faith) to be coveted, should therefore do no "owning" "someone" or "something", one may go sinful act, nor cause others to do one. Perchance to any length to satiate that desire. he meditates a sin (by an act against only) one (of the six aggregates of lives); but he will be Our ever-growing desire for material things are guilty (of sin against) every one of the six &C.. ... the cause of degradation and depletion of the
ecosystems. Each and every article which we
possess, or desire to possess, is manufactured "... ... ... all breathing, existing, living, sentient from natural resources. Thus overuse, misuse creatures should not be slain, nor treated with and pollution of these resources creates violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven imbalance in ecology. away." 1.4.1. (1)
Let us not congratulate ourselves for having With Ahimsa, defined as non-violence in thought, successfully authored our disaster through speech or deed, to be observed in direct and producing infinite types and quantities of material indirect activity against even the lowest form of objects for our comfort. In reality, we have life, AND the ecological elements defined as life, guaranteed extinction of life by not understanding it is absolutely clear that Mahavir preached Mahavir and not respecting the natural elements. preservation of the natural environment through the precept of Ahimsa over 2,500 years ago. Even now, each individual can save the earth
simply by saving one drop of water a day. Just As the most intelligent beings on earth humans multiply and work out the total volume. And, if are responsible for the environment of weal or we take care of one drop, rest assured that we woe. Environment is universal, and as a result we will THINK of protecting the environment in will have to live in whatever environment we everything we do. THIS IS AN ATTITUDE. create. The message here is for the humans to take care of the elements if the elements are to Let us not worry about what GOVERNMENTS WILL
DO for the ecosystems. No Government is more