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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision by human beings. The Jain religion and philosophy steadfastly emphasise the integrity and totality of life. It has a holistic view towards life. It is a religion that teaches assimilation and not division. Hence a member of the family and an employee of the shop - both must be treated on par. Today the man in the temple and the man elsewhere have become two separate entitites, different from each other. That is why to integrate the two separate personalities into a single, undivided one, we will have to inculcate the spirit of Ahimsa among the people the world over.
If Ahimsa saves ants, small and big ones, it should not kill man. Otherwise, it would be paradoxical. It would not be acceptable that one, who treats the members of the family with affection, does not do so in the profession. A woman, who is a kind mother at home, cannot be thought to be cruel outside. The practice of Ahimsa should not be limited to the four walls of home, it should be allowed to spread far and wide covering all walks of our life. It should be accompanied by love and compassion for all. Bhagwan Mahavira extended it to cover even the most poisonous snakes who are always ready to strike and bite even without any provocation.
Violence is directly related to the craze for accumulation and possession, so that in the world of tomorrow exploitation and corruption would manifest themselves as new forms of violence. To obtain benefits by exploiting the poor, the weak, the downtrodden, the helpless is not only a manifestation of social injustice, but it is one form of violence and deceit. Nonviolence presupposes the coexistence of different religions, philosophies, thoughts and minds in peace with each other.
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