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Universal Relevance of Jain Religion
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only religion in the world whish has recognised 'RIGHT TO LIFE' for all living beings.
The starting point for Jain concept of AHIMSA is succinctly expressed in Jain holy scriptures as 'PARASPAROPGRAHA JEEVANAM' meaning that all life in this universe is interdependent and intertwined. Man may regard himself as a superior living being compared to other life-forms in terms of heightened sense of sensitivity, logic, reasoning, wisdom, sensibilities and communicating abilities. But he ultimately owes his survival, existence and progress to the contributory role of other living beings as well as live natural elements of environment around us.
The Jain concept of Ahimsa (non-violence) applies not only to perception as a philosophical concept, but also to understanding as well as translating it into day-to-day life ethics. It has, in fact, deeply impacted the age-old Indian cultural and holistic thought in terms of espousal of tolerance, compassion and kindness towards all. Influenced in his early youth by the teachings of Jain Guru Shrimad Rajchandra, Mahatma Gandhi intuitively gathered the courage to resort to non-violent passive resistance (which later came to be called 'SATYAGRAHA' meaning 'advocating peacefully a just truthful cause') in his early struggle against Apartheid in South Africa. He was practising as a barrister there, Blacks and Browns were, at the height of apartheid forbidden to travel in First Class in trains. Gandhi mustered the courage to travel challenging the ban, but was thrown out of the railway compartment. The incident became historic as it highlighted the courage of Non-violent. On coming to India, Gandhi decided to lunch a peaceful nonviolent struggle against the British colonial rule. He rallied the masses for peaceful protest against colonial exploitation. Eventually the world witnessed the victory of non-violence through its successful experiment in India's gaining freedom from Britain without resorting to violence.
Martin Luther King was deeply inspired by Gandhi's experiment of nonviolence and adopted it in leading a successful struggle of non-violent mass protest against racial discrimination after a visit to India in 1959 for discussions with Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's inspiration is visible at Martin Luther King's Centre in Atlanta with statue of Mahatma Gandhi right at the entrance of the Memorial and inside the Gandhi's room.
In today's world, relevance of Ahimsa has been universally felt. The world is tormented by ever-increasing escalation of violence in personal, social, national and global situations with unbridled terrorism emerging as a demon-face of violence, Increasing intolerance, hatred and ego together with economic and social exploitation is highly destablising the society. Religions are tending to be ritualistic as well as fanatic and dogmatic. This has put in
