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eternal life, the path of ahimsa. This science can be applied to address social problems, not just personal ones.
Umaswati's Tattvartha Sutra says: "Forgiveness depends upon controlling anger and practising tolerance in adverse situations. It requires forbearance and gratitude that worse has not happened. To practise unconditional forgiveness we should see ourselves as the source of the anger. ...Even if the fault does not lie with oneself, the other should be forgiven because his anger is due to ignorance....We should always find reasons to forgive a person who harms us and should remember that whatever misfortunes confront us, they are due to our past karma." (That Which Is, Umaswati, p.221).
President Bush could consider peaceful solutions. He could suppress pride and ego for the cause of lasting peace. He should look for fault within America and reasons to forgive. He may even learn from great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King who opposed injustice by non-violent means. Even Nelson Mandela, who was punished and imprisoned in South Africa for decades, decided not to avenge his oppressors and instead focused on the cause of national rehabilitation. He patiently forgave.
Our belief in technology as a solution to human problems has increased exponentially, yet that Tuesday in New York people were able to hijack planes from inside a country and use them as missiles against its own people. To build peace, we do not require technology, but we must have values, morals and ideals. Guns do not create peace but instead they can encourage violence. Our very belief in technology has led us to disbelieve the crucial importance of character-building and moral education. To spread peace, we would rather press a few buttons than to take a children's class on morality. Peace is slow, war is fast. Peace requires patience, war demands impatience. Modern society is in a hurry, appearing to prefer war to peace.
Mahavir would say that the purpose of life is to attain lasting happiness and peace through living a simple life rich with ideals, not a rich life devoid of values. The ideals of ahimsa, aparigraha and kshma are eminently practical and allow us to hope instead of fear or deny. The Tattvartha Sutra explains that "morality is perfect forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness, purity (freedom from greed), truthfulness, self-restraint, austerity, renunciation, detachment and continence.” Instead of concentrating our efforts on acquisition, possession and protection, we can work on learning, sharing and giving. This is liberation in the here and now. This will give us immediate happiness and hope. It will allow us to open ourselves to others and to learn from them.
An American girl lights a candle of hope
FORGIVENESS
PRAYER
Khamemi savvajive I seek pardon from all living beings
Savve jiva khamantu me May all of them pardon me
Metti me savvabhuesu I have a friendly relationship with all
Veram majjha na kenavi I do not wish to have any enemies
This can be recited at the end of each day.
Atul K. Shah
December 2001 - February 2002. Jain Spirit
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