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The Jains through Time
violence, there is also fear.
nature. Fear brings about fear and violence begets violence, but fearlessness engenders fearlessness and love begets love.
Would you like it if someone hung a picture oozing blood on your bedroom or dining- room wall? How would you feel about it? Would any artist deliberately choose to celebrate scenes of violence in his paintings? Do you enjoy looking at scenes of violence and bloodshed? Can the screams of terrified animals be pleasant to the ear? Wouldn't you prefer to see the flowers blossom? Wouldn't you prefer to hear the merry chirping of birds? This is the law of nature. Man loves life and only life-giving scenes have the power to delight his mind.
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Whenever you are loving and compassionate, love and compassion will be generated everywhere. Wild animals like tigers, lions and deer come and sit beside seers meditating in their forest retreats. Why do they come? What do they get there? A feeling of security, of love and compassion. Instead of a feeling of hostility towards them, they find that the fountain of love and affection flows there. Cruelty breeds cruelty and brings distress to the cruel; compassion breeds compassion, and brings bliss to the compassionate. Throw a pebble into the water and countless ripples form. A voice in the stillness echoes and echoes a thousand times. In the same way our love and compassion awaken, answering echoes in every corner of creation. Cruel and sadistic feelings on the other hand produce a commensurate hatred and animosity in the atmosphere.
Not only man, but every other creature loves life. All sentient beings understand the language of love and freedom from fear. While insects and other small animals like lizards and rats live alongside you, most birds and beasts like parrots, pigeons or ducks run away from you. These poor dumb animals are afraid of man. They are afraid we will catch and eat them. Wherever there is
Our Indian culture has such an affinity with, and affection for, birds and beasts, that
sometimes think it is they who command
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