Jain Journal 1967 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 88

SOME CONTEMPORARIES AND NEAR-CONTEMPORARIES OF
MAHAVIRA
KASTUR CHAND LALWANI
“This sixth century B. C. was indeed one of the most remarkable in all history. Everywhere men's minds were displaying a new boldness. Everywhere they were waking up out of the traditions of kingships and priests and blood sacrifices and asking the most penetrating questions. It is as if the race had reached a stage of adolescence--after a childhood of 20,000 years."--H. G. WELLS
Indeed Mahavira was born in an age when men's minds were astir all over the civilised world-in India, in China, in Greece. All on a sudden leaders of men had emerged to show humanity the way. Laotse, and Confucius did it in China, as Mahavira and Buddha did in India and Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato in Greece. But then there was not much in common either in their heredity or in the way they prescribed. For while Mahavira and Buddha were princes themselves their illustrious contemporaries both in Greece and in China were just ordinary men. And while Mahavira and Buddha had devoted to attaining liberation for themselves and to showing the way to the common man, Confucius in China and Socrates and Plato in Greece were mainly concerned with social and political reforms. All of them were, however, great in so far as they influenced not only their contemporaries, but, much more, the generations that followed and all are revered to this day as the wisest and as born leaders of men.
Lao-tse
Probably none except Confucius has exerted a greater influence over the Chinese mind throughout history than a shadowy philosopher called Lao-tzu or Lao-tse, who, according to tradition, is considered to be the founder of the naturalistic, quietistic philosophy called Taoism.