Jain Center Minnesota MN 2007 07 Pratishtha

Author(s): Jain Center Minnesota USA
Publisher: USA Jain Center Minnesota

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their unique doctrine of Anekantawada have had a great impact on the psyche of the Jain community. This impact has resulted in the formation of a peaceful community, which has adhered to these three doctrines for thousands of years. The Jain doctrine of ahimsa has even influenced a large number of Hindus (particularly "upper caste" Hindus) to abandon their practice of animal sacrifices and become vegetarians. Apart from the issues such as cruelty to the animals' and 'effect of carnivorous habits on human health', vegetarianism has gained crucial importance in the 21st century. The most inconvenient truth is that a global shift away from meat and other animal products (understand Ahimsa), so also from selfrighteousness (understand Anekantawada), and from a lifestyle of increasing needs and possessions (understand Aparigraba) is urgently needed to save the planet from rapidly growing greenhouse gases. Without such a massive shift in human mindset, the kashaya-devil will have free hand with its 'intelligent ingenuity The history of Jain community suggests that their three 'A's have been effective in bringing about massive change in the human mindset to create a peaceful community. Jains have inherited these three 'A's and have used them for centuries. They must now bring their long-standing know-how in these techniques to the attention of the world. Not doing so will only strengthen the hands of the devil. I implore Jains to be proactive not only to help world breath easy, but also to restore the lost glory of Jainism.
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