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A Search for the Possibility of Non-Violence and Peace
-A Jaina View-Point
Sagarmal Jain
Need of Our Age
The growth of scientific knowledge and outlook has destroyed our superstitions and false dogmas. But unfortunately and surprisingly it has shakened our faith in spiritual and human values. To-day we know more about the atom and atomic forces than the values needed for meaningful and peaceful life. Now-a-days, we, due to tremendous advancement of science and technology, have light legged means of transportation. Physical distances have no bars to meet the people of different nationalities, cultures and religions, and consequently we have come closer and become more interdependent to each other as we were never before. Our world is shrinking, but unluckily and disdainfully the distance of our hearts is increasing day by day. Instead of developing mutual love and co operation, we are spreading hatred and hostility and thus ignoring the values of co-existence and co-operation which are essential for our very existence. Rabindranath Tagore rightly observes "For man to come near to one another and yet to continue to ignore the claims of humanity is a sure process of suicide."1 The advancement of our knowledge could not sublimate our animal and selfish nature. Animal nature within us is still dominating our individual and social behaviour And due to this, our life is full of excitements, emotional disorders and mental tensions. Though we are outwardly pleading for peace, non-violence and coexistence, yet by heart we still have strong faith in the law of jungle, i.e. the dictum "might is right". The race of nuclear weapons of the powerful nations is a strong evidence of our belief in the above said dictum. This race of nuclear weapons is a sign that we are proceeding towards formidable funeral procession of mankind. Bertrand Russell,
1
The Voice of Humanity, edited by C. W. David, p. 1
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