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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision Aparigraha has an economic aspect according to which one should set a limit to one's own needs, it is also enjoined that whatever surplus, one may accumulate beyond these needs, should be disposed of through charities. Aparigraha is the only means whereby the growing gulf between the rich and the poor can be peacefully bridged and a fair distribution of wealth is achieved. Therefore, business dealings must be conducted in the non-acquisitive spirit of Aparigraha.
Jainism's ancient advocacy of vegetarianism is receiving global attention today, due to severe food shortages in certain parts of the world and to the researches of the scientific community. Vegetarianism is the only viable answer to world hunger. It is now a fairly well established fact that whatever is necessary or desirable for human nutrition in meats or flesh foods equally well found in and at times actually derived from vegetable products. Thus Jain ethics train good, dutiful and morally conscious citizens who can help in maintaining world peace. Jainism asks us to subdue our passions and always act with mindfulness and caution. The neglect of these ethical rules results in individual and national crimes. By stressing the importance of pure, simple and honest life for the householders, Jainism paves the way for the world peace.
The ethical code of Jainism is the most beautiful blend of Achara and Vichara (conduct and reflection). Almost all the usual group of virtues regarding conduct or Achara (like satya, ahimsa, brahmacharya, asteya, aparigraha) which are propounded in various religions finally owe their immense importance mainly to Jain tradition. Jainism fosters the inculcation of all these virtues in its votaries through a very wise and practical
The Value and Heritage of Jain Religion hierarchical scale of anu-vratas, maha-vratas, etc. On the side of reflection or Vichara, it is Jainism which has stressed right from its very beginning tattvachintana. It is due to this insistence on tattuachintana in Jainism that we find that it is the Jains who have been almost the sole originators in literary compositions in most of Indian languages. Jainism has contributed ably and subtly to very many chapters in the history of Indian philosophy.
The contribution of Jainism to Indian thought and life has been very significant. Actually vegetarianism as a habit prevailing throughout the Indian continent, atleast in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, is an evidence of the Jain influence. Indian literature, sculpture, architecture and painting as also every other aspect of life have been significantly influenced by Jainism. To do justice to all these will require a separate book. Here it is sufficiant to say that almost every student of Indian culture or visitor to the Indian subcontinent has been considerably impressed by the sculpture and the arts of Jain temples, Jain paintings and the "inexhaustible stock of Jain literature".
The Jains played a very important part, first in the development of the ancient Prakrit language, as also of the Dravidian languages of the South, Tamil and Kannad. Somewhat later they adopted Sanskrit to elucidate the contents of the original prakrit canon and gradually produced a vast Sanskrit literature comprising valuable works on almost all subjects : philosophy, logic, grammar, laxicography, poetics, politics, mathematics, astronomy and astrology. Indian literature in all its branches is thus indebted to the achievements of Jain authors.
