Jain Journal 2010 07

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

Page 11

Sagarmal Jain: The World's Problems and Jaina View-Point
11
thinkers have all the time, condemned war and violence. In Uttaradhyāyana, it is said "If you want to fight, fight against your passions. It is much better to fight with one's own passionate self than to fight with others, if some one is to be conquered, it is no other than your own self. One who has got victory over one's own self is greater then the one who conquers thousand and thousand of warriors."
Though Jainas aim at complete eradication of war and violence from the earth, it is not possible as long as we are attached to and have possession for any thing-living or non-living, small or great. There are persons and nations who believe in the dictum 'might is right'. Though aggressive and unjust, war and violence is not acceptable to Jainas, they agree to the point that all those who are attached to physical world and have a social obligation to protect others life and property are unable to dispense with defensive war and violence. Jainas accept that perfect nonviolence is possible only on spiritual plane by a spiritual being who is completely free from attachment and aversion and has full faith in the immortality of soul and thus remains undisturbed by the fear of death and sense of insecurity. The problem of war and violence is mainly concerned with worldly beings. They cannot dispense with defensive and occupational violence. But what is expected of them is to minimize the violence at its lowest. Ignorant and means for non-violent wars and for reducing violence even in just and defensive wars. They suggested two measures. First the war should be fought without weapons and in the refereeship of some one. The war fought between Bharat and Bahubali is an example of such a non-violent war. In our times Gandhiji also planed a non-violent method of opposition and applied it successfully. But it is not possible for all to oppose non-violently. Only a man, who is detached even to his body and has heart free from malice can protect his right nonviolently. In addition to this, such efforts can bear fruits only when raised against one who has human heart. Its success becomes dubitable when it has to deal with some one, who has no faith in human values