________________
(vii)
Bankrupt internally. Prime Minister Nokru's observations are thought provoking, "I do feel that our public affairs and our life generally would be much poofer in quality if the spiritual clement was lacking." (Hitvada, Nagpur 27th May 1974).
Lord Mahavira has ordained us to control our greed, hust and unabated longing for worldly possession, since unrestricted carnal cravings result in untold agony, miscries and innumerable complexities in life.
In his “World Aflame Billy Graham observes; “Before Romc fell her standards were abandoned, the family disintegrated, divorce prevailed, immorality was rampant and they threw us at a low ebb." He further observes about America: "Crime is increasing with such a rapidity that we are now close to open rebellion and anarchy. It is dangerous to walk the streets of almost any city in America after dark. In some areas people are in fear and terror, Our city streets are turned into jungle of terror, robbery with violence, rape and death, The blight of criminality threatens to engulf our society. As the crime rates risc, the moral foundations crumble." (P.19).
John Bel Geddes in his article on "India Through Foreign Eyes" writes, “In the U. S. despite our relatively high degree of freedom and afilunce, problems seem to be increasing week by week and people are full of complaints and anxieties; whereas in India, where most people have so much less to enjoy than we do, every one seemed full of unquenchable hope". (Nagpur Times 30.4.72.). This deplorable state of affairs is the consequence of materialism sborn of spiritual values and deep devotion to the life of lust and luxury.
Although countless saints have eulogised the doctrine of Ahimsa and compassion yet it cannot be denied that they all got the original inspiration from Tirthankara Mahavira's beneficial scientific and rational Teachings. These words of poet Tennyson are significant and edifying i
