Mahavira and his Philosophy of Life

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Vidya Samsthan

Page 72

development of healthy social life. In a way, wealth is the basis of our social structure and if its flow is obstructed because of its accumulation in few hands, large portion of society will remain undeveloped. The hoarding of essential commodities creates a situation of social scarcity which perils social life. In order to resist such inhuman tendency, Mahavira incessantly endeavoured to establish the social value of Aparigraha.
It should be borne in mind that along with human and economic inequality, differences in outlook create a situation of conflict in society. The result is that constructive tendencies in man suffer a great deal. If we take things in right perspective, we shall find that differences in outlook appear as a result of the use of creative faculties inherent in man. If this fact is not adhered to, these differences become the cause of conflict between man and man, the consequence of which is that social unity is disrupted. Mahavira by his deep insight could see the waste of social energy on account of the wrong understanding of the nature of things. Consequently, he preached that differences in outlook are in fact differences in the nature of things. These are different aspects of things. In this way different outlooks are not to be condemned but are to be understood as the different aspects of truth. In fact, difference in outlook should be treated as difference in stand-points. Thus dissensions disappear and social solidarity sets in. Mahavira's doctrine of stand-points can be called Nayavada which is a corollary of Anekantavāda, the doctrine of multiple aspects of truth. By virtue of the promulgation of this social value, man started thinking that along with his own stand-point, the stand-point of the 'other' is also significant. This gave
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