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22 / Lord Mahavira
11. Ideology for Perfect Life
Killing innocent unarmed persons is no act of courage and bravery. To be non-violent, it is necessary that one is fearless, because fear and ahimsa cannot exist simultaneously. Some persons consider ahimsa a sign of cowardice, while fact is that to respond against violence in a nonviolent manner requires a lot of courage. Many ills of society originate from the fact that an individual in general is intolerant. No one in society is inferior to others, though he may be economically or intellectually less gifted. An educational system should be such that it should arouse consciousness in students. One should not be fastidious on the lines of religion, caste, class etc, exploitation encroachment of other's privacy and freedom etc. Self-analysis and introspection are the two qualities that enable a person to become a better human being. The world is full of sufferings, to get over these the only way is to adopt the path of Ahimsa. One should adopt a co-operative attitude for the progress of each other. All good qualities come in a person if he follows the path of Ahimsa.