Book Title: Jainism and World Problems
Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 153
________________ INTERNATIONAL PEACE 145 there would be no escape in any way except by undoing it, by the severest of austerities and other forms of severe selfdenial. Even when evil is wrought in the name of religion the law applies with full severity ; there is and can be no forgiveness of one's sins by any one else! Jainas lived the life of Love in the past, and they are the only people who have no wanton killing against them in the pages of the world's history. Man lived peacefully with man under the influence of ahimsa. Yet Jainas were no cowards; they actually fought wars, and also defeated their enemies. Chandra Gupta, Sandracotas of the Greek Historians, was a Jaina, He was the emperor of nearly the whole of India about 300 B.C. When the ambitious Greeks sought to annex India to their empire, Chandra Gupta took the field against them, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Greek army. The Jainas are allowed to fight in self-defence, but not with grcedy ambitions. They are not allowed to wage religious crusades, or to seek to obtain converts at the point of the sword. In the past other nations and communities have persecuted the Jainas, but never the Jainas are seen persecuting any onc. Now look at the other nations of the world. You will not find any other nation that can show the same clean record. They have waged wars of aggression on others and have also fought amongst themselves internally. Slaughter and blood-shed fill the pages of the histories of the nations of the world. They have passed through blood themselves and have dragged others through blood. Bitter religious wars, too, have characterised their career in many instances. All this notwithstanding that most of the religious scriptures of the world preach the doctrine of mercy and love. The reason for the failure of these nations is to be found in the fact that the hearts of men have not been touched by the teaching of their scriptures. They have not understood 19 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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