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equality of human beings which can restore peace and harmony in human society.
APARIGRAH: THE HUMANE SOLUTION
Our age is the age of science and technology. Science and technology have done a great service to the mankind by providing amenities of pleasant living. Scientific discoveries have enbled man to master Nature. But, now, man is showing the defects of 'slave turned master'. The scientific achievements and mastery over the nature have turned man into a selfish being open to temptation. Seifishness and temptation have eroded our spiritual and moral values of self sacrifice and service to the needy. These values can servive only if we check our selfish and greedy attitudes.
Bhagwan Mahāvīra in Uttarādhyayana Sūtra has rightiy observed 'where there is inner desire for material gain and possession of worldly objects of enjoyments, there is greed. The limitless desire for power and wealth has caused man to lose his sense of respects for others. This attitude, in turn, has created a gulf between haves and havenotes, and this has resulted in the loss of mutual faith and sense of brotherhood. The desire for power and possession has also given birth to the race for atomic weapons. This desire to accumulate more power and wealth is called 'Parigraha'. And not to accumulate power and possession beyond minimum requirement constitutes the principle of Aparigraha, a constituent of Pañca Yama of Bhagwan Mahāvīra's philosophy. Though Mahāvīra has laid Stress on the principle of non-violence (Ahimsa) yet, he also observed that in the root of all violence and war there is the lust for power and possession. Therefore, in order to restore peace and brotherhood mid to uproot violence we will have to develop mutual faith and Sense of security. Everyone has right to
249 Jainism and its History
