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Ho #alatt talatai
This suggestion is certainly good If followed, it will stop wealth from going into the hands of those who have already got much of it and afford opportuni. ties for earning it to those who have real needs of it. In a word, this suggestion leads to a solution of the acute economic problem which faces the human societies of to-day The difficulty, bowever, in the way of this undoubtedly salutary suggestion is that an ordinary man will not balt from his money. maling pursuits, if State interference or any pressure of the sort from outside be not brought to bear upon him.
What, then, is the way?
Ve think that the life of the great Jaina Teacher, Sn Vira vill show us the way, where the heretofore suggested ways have seemed to be either no ways or but incomplete ways And here my Jaina friends will kindly pardon me, if I refrain from looking upon the events of the Arhant's life from the usual religious standpoint but viety them in a firmly somal and economic perspective.
The remarkable points in Sri Vira's life are (1) that he from his pery childhood was of 20 extremely usaggressive and non-acquiring disposition ; (11) that for one full year before his renunciation of the world, he was giving atray all his Tealth and that at the time of his taking to an ascetic life, he distributed the very clothes and ornaments which he had on his body; and (iii) that when he attained the final self-realisation he went on without any food or clothing whatsoever ( as the Dsgambaras say) or atleast reduced the claims of flesh to their minimum point (as the Swetāmbaras say). The first of the above points in Srī Vira's life is the sought-for clue to the possibility of a sensiblc man's refraining from further acquisition of wealth at a certain stage of his life. If a socialist-minded man is to stop from money-making pursuits and if the state-interference or out-side pressure in this matter is undesirable,then the urge must come from within. For the socialistic self-control, the background of non-15aricious disposition is psychologically necessary. This spirit of renunciation was 3 marked trait in young Sri Vira's character and made it possible for Him not only not to hanter after worldly possessions but to gnicanas cien nhat he had,-as noted abosc as the second remarkable act in His hifc That first point 10 Sri Vira's life, riz, a non-aggressive diposition from his childhood not only prepared the way for his later liberal mets but said his freedom and this is the most important thing here to note, Herec astas all that he did not want, not because he was compelled to do 80 bu any out-side authoritics but because of his orn free will and choice. The lilc of Shri Vis thus tcrches us a lesson which the modern Socialism would pro: bs als ays remembering,-thst in order that a hurgan being may saluntariit content to and work for an equal distribution of scalth, his character and mot s erely the outcroll atmosphere and the outsidc circumstances surround. ing tim.sould be built up 10 an appropriate manner.
