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Role of Religion in unity of Mankind and World Peace 4. 157
and body, I am different each moment and thus many. This view is further elaborated by Acarya Mallisena, he says "whatsoever is one, is also many." In fact, unity in diversity is the law of nature. Nature everywhere is one, but there is diversity in it, as the natural phenomena differs from each other, so is the case with human beings also. Though all the human beings have some common characteristics and features, yet every individual being different from others has some specific qualities. It is also true about religions. All the religions have some common characteristics sharing with others as well as specific qualities of their own. Universal virtues such as non-violence, friendliness, service to the needy, truthfulness, honesty, control over senses, etc. are commonly shared by all the religions of the world. Unfortunately, at present, these common universal virtues, which are the essence of religious practices, have been ignored and external rituals, which are divergent in their nature, have become more important. Thus we have forgotten the essential unity of all the religions and are stressing on their diversities.
Though I am emphasizing the essential unity of all the religions, this does not mean that I am supporter of one world-religion or undermining the specialties and diversities of them. What I intend to say is that the absolute unity and absolute diversity, both are illusory concepts and fellowship of faith means unity in diversity. Co-operation as essential nature of Living Beings
For Jainas co-operation and co-existence are the essential nature of living beings. Darwin's dictum- 'struggle for existence' and the Indian saying- 'jīvojīvasya bhojanam, i.e. 'life thrives on life' are not acceptable to them.
They maintain that it is not the struggle but the mutual cooperation is the law of life. Umāsvāti (4th century A.D.) in his work Tattvārtha-sūtra clearly mentions that mutual co-operation is the nature of living beings (parasparopagraho jīvānām' i.e. living beings
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