Keynote Address of Dr Sagarmal Jain at Calcutta

Author(s): Mahadeolal Saraogi
Publisher: Mahadeolal Saraogi

Page 22

Negatively it is the state of the cessation of all the passions and desires. It is freedom from the victors of attachment and aversion. Positively it is the state of bliss, and self-contentment But these positive and negative aspects of inner peace are like the two sides of the same coin and they could not exist without each other. So far as the outer peace or peace in the society is concerned, it can be defined negatively as a cessation of war and hostilities and positively as a state of social harmony and co-existence. The real external peace is more than non-war. It is a vital peace. The real peace means progress of human race as a whole. But we must be aware of the fact that this external or environmental peace depends on the inner peace of the individuals. Since it is only an outcome of inner peace, these various phases of peace are not mutually exclusive, but inclusive. The peace of society is disturbed when the peace in individuals is disturbe and vice versa. Hostilities and wars are the expressions and outcomes of aggressive and selfish mentality of the individuals. Though the social conditions and disorder may be responsible for the disturbance of mental peace, they cannot yet disturb the persons who are spiritually strong. The inner peace of the soul is the cause and the peace of the society is the effect and so we must try first to retain inner peace or the peace of the soul.
According to Jaina viewpoint, inner peace or the tranquility is an essential nature of self and it is also the ultimate goal of life. In a Jainá text of earlier period known as Acaranga we have two definitions of religion, one as
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