Jain Journal 1990 04

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

Page 49

160
JAIN JOURNAL
speech, with their hand they are actually getting ready to strike a deadly blow at those very men to whom their words are directed.
Religious men, too, will fail and have always failed to come up to the mark, wherever superstition and misunderstood theology have been the predominant influences in the human heart. Many persons have committed inexpresibly horrible atrocities on their fellow men in the belief that they were serving their god or gods by doing so, and, therefore, he or they could not get angry with them. This is the type that will again and again flout both the moral conscience and public opinion, whenever he is able to have the upperhand. Their working formula simply is: might is right!
What is wanted is a firmly rooted belief in the doctrine that makes the soul responsible for its actions in subjection to natural laws. "As you sow, so shall you reap." There is no question of forgiveness of sin by any one; everytihng is governed by the Iron Law of Karma. As already stated, there are two ways of behaviour in relation to our fellow beings, either on the path of love, or on that of selfishness or greed. On the path of love there are peace and joy and life everlasting for the soul; on that of hatred, misery, and trouble and suffering and pain. Even in worldly matters hatred involves trouble for oneself and one's community, though at times we seem to thrive on the spoils and booty secured by unrighteous means. Past history, however, is there to show that never has an empire of men at any time survived a policy of selifishness. For a time, no doubt, they flourish, and then come to an abrupt end. Yet while they are flourshing they all imagine that they can for ever go on dominating others with impunity.
The fact is that the selfish are always making enemies for themselves all round, at all times. These enemies for a time are unable to combine or overthrow the foe, but whenever there is an opportunity they strike an effective blow. In hatred energy is needlessly dissipated, and some day the hater is exposed on more points than he can defend adequately and is brought low at once. The danger in the case of great empires which are founded on the foundation of selfishness and hatred is that the virus of hatred spreads in their own community in the end, surely enough, so that he who would rule other communities by trickery and diplomacy in course of time will find his own people becoming affected by these undesirable traits of character when confidence will be undermined, patriotism destroyed and good-natured co-operation replaced by unhealthy individualism. When this happens, the doom is sealed, and nothing can avert it.