Jainism and Democracy

Author(s): Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: I A S S Jain Conference New Delhi

Page 20

THE REAL DEMOCRACY
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ence is not altogether unchangeable. The individual can reduce, enhance or wipe out altogether the effects of accumulated karmans through penances. He can delay the effect or experience it sooner than the fixed moment. Thus the Jainas, though believe in the theory of karman and the effects of former lives yet, they do not believe in fatalism where every thing is sealed. Jainism provides ample scope for personal efforts and it is an important factor of democracy. This is the basic concept of equality of opportunity. As indigention is the automatic result of over eating failure that of unplanned action and so forth karmic dirt and the consequent miseries are the automatic results of attachment with external objects. The Jaina canon prescribes five vows of Nonsviolence, Truth, Honesty, Celebracy and Nonpossession as the code of morality. A lay follower observes them in part while a monk is expected to observe them completely. The first and the last vows. are special contribution of Jainism at the same time they are the life breath of democracy.
Ordinarily, violence means injury to life and nonviolence means abstinance from it. In Jain scriptures we find the word Prana which is a wider and comprehensive term. The same scriptures classify Prāna into ten. Each of five senses constitutes one Prāna. Their motors of mind, speech and body constitute one Prana each. Breath and life provide the last two types. Injury to Prāna includes all the ten types. Any obstacle or restriction put to one's free application of sense organs is Hinsă. Everybody has perfect right to see, to listen, to taste, to smell and to touch whatever he likes provided