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THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF RELIGIOUS
TOLERANCE IN JAINISM
Dr. Sagarmal Jain
What is True Religion
The ultimate end in view of all religions is to ensure peace and happiness for the individual and to establish harmony within human society. However, as is known from history, countless wars have been faught in the name of religion. The religion thus remains accused for the inestimable amount of bloodshed of mankind. Of course, it is not the religion but the fundamentalist and hence extremist and rigid outlook of the so-called men of religion which is responsible for this horrible consequences. At present religion as such is largely shoved into the background or at best used in the service of political ideologies. If one believes that only his Faith, his mode of worship, and his political ideologies are the right means for securing peace and happiness for mankind, then he cannot be tolerant to the viewpoints of his opponents. The immediacy therefore is to develop tolerance to, and friendship for others. It is the only approach by which we can generate peace and harmony inside human society.
Can religion as a category, of which Jainism is a part, meet with this challenge of our times ? Before this question can be answered we must make a distinction between a true and a false religion. Because a true religion never supports violence, intolerance and fanatical outlook and it cannot per se be made responsible for the ignominious acts committed in the name of religion by such religious leaders who want to serve their vested interest. The barbarity committed in the past and perpetrated in the present in the name of religion is due very largely to the intolerance and fanaticism of the so-called religious leaders and their ignorant followers.
The only way of freeing oneself from this sordid situation is to comprehend the true nature, indeed to grasp the "essence" of religion
Paper read at Assembly of the World's Religions MCA fee New Jesey (U.S.A)
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