Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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"INAMEVA KHANAM VIYANIYA" These are the golden moments which are before us, we have to utilize consciously in full awareness, integration and full completeness (totality) these passing moments which are ours, which are in our hands. Even if we go back to Ancient times, shall we go back to Mahaveera's time, to Bhagawan Munisuvrata's time or go back to Bhagawan Adinatha's time, the first Tirthankara of this circle of time? Anyway, eternity of Jainism says that whatever eternal values and eternal truths we are having with us, which are imbibed in ourselves, the right cognition, right belief, right conduct, "SamyagDarshan-Gyan-Charitra", knowledge, cognition, conduct etc., If in this time we say, Bhagawan Adinath had originated the first culture on this earth and I wd't go into details, from "Adinath" we have come to "Adimnatha", then we have come to "Baba Adam ", then "Adishwar" (according to the Parsis "Ardeshar") and so many derivations we find, but the main thing which Adinatha and other Jain Tirthankaras, who themselves were brave warriors, had taught, was fearlessness and bravery-bravery in both the fields -material and spiritual! On which probably, I may sing a song today
"Viron ki yah bat hai bhai, kaayar ka nahin kaam re!" The path of Arihantas, Mahaveera and the other Tirthakaras, is the path of the Braves and not of the cowards! (Clappings from audience) Non-violence is the path of the Braves and not of the cowards. A single light lighted by a modern Apostle of love and non-violence Mahatma Gandhi - from where it has come? It has come from Srimad Rajchandra, his spiritual Jaina Guru about whom he had made references more than Ruskin and Tolstoy in his autobiography "Story of my experiments with truth". According to Jainism, the principle of co-existence -'Live and let live' which late Pandit Nehru had also acquired as the "Pacha Shila" (co-existence principle in five forms) has come from Jainism, through Mahatma Gandhiji, through Srimad Rajchandraji. Again, this is in modern times, but when we go back to Adinaths' and other Tirthankaras' times, we find the culture-spread, the spread of culture in way of wars, not the wars full of hatred and full of selfishness but wars based on principles, that is what was taught by Lord Adinatha! And Lord Bahubali, his son, is the example of it. How there could be war without violence, without hatred? I won't go back in details but in short, Bhagawan Adinatha had taught "Asi, Masi and Krisihi", the writings, the art of writing and the Agriculture and not only this, according to the Kalpasutra, - the 64 and 72 Arts of men and women - all these arts were promulgated by Lord Adinatha one by one.
And then; great span of time has passed and afterwards we come to the age of Bhagawan Mahaveera. Bhagawan Mahaveera was relevant at that time, and relevant today also, he'll be relevant in future even, because his principles are eternal. At that time there was the need of the day of the upliftment of the masses. He used the language of the masses. Not the Sanskrit, the language of Gods', but 'Prakrit - the language of the masses'. And again, he became one with the masses and ordered his disciples, the monks, to move about on foot. It is not only for observing Non-violence, it is also for making mass-contacts, to reach unto the hearts of people and this was very much necessary in those days, when mass-contact was necessary and so there were many other things also about which I won't elaborate and tell in details here. I will come to what Jainism has to say today, what is more relevant today. We may ask and we should ask in the language of Science and Psychology: Whether Jainism has psychological and scientific background?" I may say 100% yes, it has got 100% psychological background. We may prove it psychologically and scientifically but more than that, where the areas of science have their limitations, then we have to turn to the spirit, the spirit beyond matter! Well, what Jainism has to contribute to today's world, when the world is full of madness of violence and madness of race, of power and of so many things. Jainism gives a break, it gives an insight to look into that if this science has base of violence, it will bring disaster. According to Mahaveera, according to Jainism, science should be with violence and Modern Jain Acharyas, not only Jain Aharyas but even contemporary Acharyas like Vinobaji, say that if the world has to survive, we have to unite science with non-violence, then only there will be 'Sarvodaya', then only there will be elevation for each and every soul. If we minus non-violence from science, then the science without non-violence, is bound to bring disaster and that's why the spirit of non-violence has far reaching impacts and influences on the modern world!
When we are in search of peace, we have to first realize the peace within and then outside. Mahaveera says, you have to kindle the light within you first. The day of today's light festival reminds us of the light within, the light burning outside reminds us of the light within and that you have to kindle it. That's what Bhagawan Mahaveera did. We have to kindle the light of spiritualism and meditation and that comes through right conduct of non-violence, as Sri Ghardiji has put it nicely and correctly, without that base of non-violence, you can't proceed further - either in personal life or in collective life. So again in this earth, in this western part of earth, when all of us are the Cultural Ambassadors of Jainism, let us prove with each and every inch of our actions, that we are for non-violence and in addition to non-violence, for