Book Title: Jainism by Vividus
Author(s): Ramnik V Shah
Publisher: Ramnik V Shah Canada

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Page 149
________________ vision of reality, a fundamental change in our thoughts, perception and values and the first beginning of this change are already visible in all fields. As individuals, as a society and as a planetary civilization, we have now arrived at the turning point". I am making these preliminary observations because I am going to repeat what I said in that book viz that the central Concept in Jainism is not non-violence. The central concept in Jainism is 'Samyaktva", which means an attitude at all levels of consciousness, physical, mental. vital, psychic and spiritual-an unshakable rock-like outlook and perception- of equalness, harmoniousness and peacefulness not only within oneself, but throughout the universe and beyond. Samyaktva means sameness, oneness in all lives, things and events. Samyaktva is necessarily right, but all that is right is not necessarily Samyaktva. That which is right is relative, but Samyaktva is absolute. When we say "Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gnan or Samyak charitra'' we do not mean right seeing or perception, right knowing or knowledge, or right action or conduct: We actually mean the perception of "Samyaktva" not only in ourselves but also in the entire universe, or multiverse, and the knowledge and conduct based there on, or arising from such perception. It is this perception that has found expression not only in the concept of "Non-Violence", but also of “Syadvad", the multiple points of view the operation of "Karma" without frown, or favour, the plurality and separateness of souls as all wholes and not portions, or parts of any Unitary priniciple, and the last, but not the least, the denial of the creation of the universe by any one. The root word in “Samyaktva" is "Sama" meaning ''equal" in all respects, both in quality and as content, in space and in time, so equal as to be totally harmonious, balanced and peaceful and even healthful, the aspect in which it also means 'sound and perfect'. The word 'health' is derived from the Greek word having as its root 'hal', from where such words as "whole" "hale," "heal', 'holy', 'health', 33

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