Jain Journal 2010 07

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

Page 16

JAIN JOURNAL : VOL-XLV, NO. I-IV JULY.-JUNE 10-11
Mahavira mentions in the Sutrakrtanga, 'those who praise their own faiths and ideologies and blame those of their opponents and thus distort the truth will remain confined to the cycle of birth and death"?'. Jaina pholosophers have always maintained that all the judgments are true by their own viewpoints, but they are false so far as they refute totally other's view-points. Here I would like to quote verses from works of Haribhadra (8th century A.D.) and Hemacandra (12th century A.D.), which are the best examples of religious tolerance in Jainism. In Lokatattvanirnaya Haribhadra says: “I bear no bias towards Lord Mahavira and no disregard to the Kapila and other saints and thinkers, whatsoever is rational and logical ought to be accepted 18. Hemcandra in his Mahadevastotra says “I bow to all those who have overcome attachment and hatred, which are the cause of worldly existence, be they Brahma, Visnu, Siva or Jina19. Thus, Jaina saints have tried all the times to maintain the harmony in different religious-faiths and tried to avoid religious conflicts.
The basic problems of present society are mental tensions violence and conflicts of ideologies and faiths. Jainism had tried to solve these problems of mankind through the three basic tenets of nonattachment or non-possessiveness (Aparigraha), non-violence (Ahimsā) and non-obsolutism (Anekānta). If mankind observes these three principles, peace and harmony can certainly be established in the world.
Problem of the Preservation of Ecological Equilibrium:
The world has been facing a number of problems such as mental tensions, war and violence, ideological conflicts, economic inequality, political subjugation and class conflicts not only today but from its remote past. Though some of these have assumed and alarming proportion today, yet no doubt the most crucial problem of our age is, or for coming generation would be, that of ecological disbalance. Only a half century back we could not even think of it. But today every one is aware of the fact that ecological disbalance is directly related to the