Jain Spirit 2003 03 No 14

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 38

PEACE REQUIRES MORAL COURAGE
us to lose the sense of "I" and "mine" and try to act for the benefit for all around. A little of this selfless attitude can do wonders for the world. It makes for better human relations from simple family life all the way up to international relations.
arguments of compassion, and non-violence to mask his own fears. Is there any virtue in his state of mind? The greatest proponent of non-violence, Gandhiji himself said, "I don't like the non-violence of the coward. Non-violence of the brave alone is non-violence." We must not behave like cowards in the name of non-violence, for this is not non-violence at all." The Jain definition of ahimsa not only means non-violence to others, but more so it refers to refraining from action that will harm oneself, that will hinder our soul's ability to attain liberation. By our own definitions of ahimsa, being afraid like Arjuna was, and getting into a nervous state, is being violent to our own souls. There is a great universality in Arjuna's situation, as we all have our own struggles to face. Krsna's message is not violent - he is simply inspiring us to be brave, and face our own difficulties courageously, in a way that increases dharma in the world. Krsna reminds us of the difference between non-violence and unqualified pacifism, and that to be truly non-violent we must also be brave. Strength and compassion are two sides of the same coin; the twentyforth Jain Tirthankara Mahavira, whose name literally means *very brave' perfectly exemplifies these two virtues.
The poet's war-like illustration can also be taken as a metaphor. The human body and mind is a constant battle field, between right and
wrong. In many ways we are fighting a "The human body
righteous war within ourselves. This idea is beautifully put forward in chapter six; "One
and the mind is a
becomes one's own friend when one has constant battlefield away, and the unity behind all appears.
conquered oneself; if un-subdued by oneself, one operates as one's own enemy."
between right and wrong."
As Jains we also believe that all souls are equal, take away the exterior and essentially we are all the same. This idea is taken further, to include all living beings not just humans. If this truth was universally applied there would be no chance of wars, hurting our "opponents" would be hurting ourselves. Krsna describes a true devotee to be "He or she who hates no creature, and is friendly and compassionate towards all, who is free from the feelings of 'I' and 'mine', even minded in pleasure and pain, and forbearing."(12.13). These virtues can truly be cultivated with the realisation that it is the soul that is the true self, and that all living beings share this divinity.
Bravery is not the only lesson that Krsna has to teach in the Gita. Whether or not Arjuna is scared, he is still confused as to what is the right thing to do. Krsna dispels this confusion by expounding his philosophy of action and life, calling it by the simple word 'Yoga. Most Indian schools of thought believe that with every action, whether it is physical or mental, Karma is bound. It is also true that we can never escape from performing an action, not even for a second. It is utterly necessary to act to maintain our existence. How can one free oneself from binding Karma? To simply try and not act is not the answer. "By non performance of action, none reaches inaction; by merely giving up action no one attains perfection." (3.4) The Gita says "do thou always perform obligatory actions without attachment; by performing action without attachment, the human being attains to the highest."(3.19). The Gita teaches us to renounce the fruit of our actions, yet to still try and complete each action to the best of our ability. It teaches us that we have full control of our actions yet little control over the results of our actions. If we are governed by the fruits of our actions we lose sight of the means by which we attain them. When all that matters is getting the result, how we achieve our goals, whether foul or fair, becomes dangerously irrelevant. However if we undertake our actions in the spirit of service (vajna) there is no bondage of karma at all. The Gita teaches
For many reasons people believe the Gita to be the Jewel of Indian literature. Next to the Bible, it is the most translated of all texts. Its beauty lies in the fact that it does not suggest any sectarian ideologies; it tries to break down the dogmatic view of religions, and emphasises that true religion is spiritual development, and not merely pious words and rituals. The Gita tries to encourages us to incorporate religion into our every day lives; it shows that no matter what our occupation may be, if we work in the spirit of service to others we are developing spiritually.
The Yoga of action is inherently non-violent. Gandhi believed that it was impossible to act truly selflessly without observing ahimsa. He wrote, "Let it be granted, that according to the letter of the Gita it is possible to say that warfare is consistent with renunciation of fruit. But after forty years' unremitting endeavour fully to enforce the teaching of the Gita in my own life, I have in all humility felt that perfect renunciation is impossible without perfect observance of ahimsa in every shape and form."
I believe that the Gita was composed with its practical uses strongly in mind. It is a science of self-development, designed to nourish and strengthen human character in order to maintain a better, balanced, society for all. It asks us to look deep within ourselves, and try to unlock the latent divinity that is within each and every one of us. The deeper we look inside ourselves, the closer we get to selfrealisation. It states that those who have realised the truth, "by that knowledge will see the whole world in (themselves) in the infinite atman, as also in me." (Sri Krsna). Thus with spiritual development, the separateness between things is taken
Vishal Shah is an undergraduate student at Cambridge University.
March May 2003. Jain Spirit
53
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