Jainism and Democracy

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

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THREE IDEALS OF LIFE
Indian religion has analysed human incentive into three ideals :-- Power, knowledge and happiness. Every religious system has proposed one or more of them as the highest goal or the object of attainment. As the time advanced and the struggle for life reduced the concept of religion also changed. From being external it became internal, from mundane to transcedental and from realistic to idealistic, this change affected the notion about the above three ideals also.
The ancient sages of the vedic period in their daily prayers ask God,
"Lead us from non-existence to existence,
from darkness to light,
from death to immortality.” The non-existence, darkness and death represent weakness, ignorance and miseries respectively. The existence, light and immortality on the other hand mean power, knowledge and happiness.
In the early Rigvedic period when Aryans stepped into this country, their life was full of struggle. They had to fight against the nature as well as the Aborginies. At that time power or strength meant a domination over the enemy both in the form of nature as well as the
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