Jain Journal 1973 01

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

Page 27

Is Mahavira Relevant To-Day ?
B. M. SINGHI
The answer to the question posed in the title is both no and yes. No, if our enquiry is addressed to the contexts of Mahavira's times, and the conditions garbing his spiritual and religious movement, with or without relevance to the traditions of the past ; and yes, if we are concerned with the concepts of Mahavira's value-system. During the last two thousand and five hundred years since Mahavira lived and taught, shape of things has changed a great deal. The present age is quite different from the age in which Mahavira lived. In the changed contexts of today Mahavira has no relevance, if we literally take into account the way the people lived in those days and the form and nature of the problems the individual and the society then faced. But the basic concepts Mahavira had developed through experience and experimentation in his own life have not changed and they still hold good and effective. Leaving aside the religious jargon, the main stream of life is the same today. In essence, same consciousness flows from age to age. What changes is the form, the exterior, and, of course, the expression.
Mahavira was dead long ago, but the truth of his concepts and ideals remains imperishable. How to achieve peace and happiness for all and at all times, was the question then and is the question now. The answer Mahavira gave was : "Live and let -live". Is the answer different today? Obviously not. Mahavira had a clear perception of