________________
HOW MAY MAN MASTER FEAR?
neighbours, we need no armies nor armed forces. The truth is that in our heart of hearts we are fully convinced that we do not hold our interests to be identical with those of our neighbours; and our neighbours are also alive to the fact all the time, and are not actuated by love towards us in any sense. Men are groaning under the burdens of taxation already. If there is another war on anything like a big scale, there will be nothing but utter ruination for humanity.
We live in fear daily, nay momentarily, of all men, and the nations of men. And we, too, try to spread fear amongst others, in our own turn. Fear is the prevailing weapon of the diplomat. He succeeds only when he is able to frighten his opponent into submission, by terrifying him with the consequences. In small matters of daily life, too, the same policy of higher' diplomacy is impressed into service, unwittingly, by men.
If we loved one another, really, things would take a very different turn. For love breaks down all barriers and harmonises and unifies differences. Our neighbours are not really our enemies by natural instinct; we have made them so; and they have strengthened the unholy feeling. If we treat them as we treat our own brothers and sisters in a family they will never become our enemies. One's brothers and sisters seldom turn against one, and if they do so, which is a very rare thing, they can be easily reconciled again. Why should it not be like this with one's neighbours and even with remotely placed nations?
The reason is that we watch over the interests of our blood relations, but not of any other people. On the contrary, we are ever eager to take advantage of others if we find them nodding! It is of course possible to deceive some people for a time, but no one in the whole world is such a big fool as never to perceive what our intentions really are; and when the true state of affairs is discovered cheated the party must naturally become an enemy of the cheater.
5
Jain Education International
33
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
