Pristine Jainism

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 62

Cyclic Changes not Creation : (59) i.e. mutually helping. Organism bacteria and insects are friendly and harmless. Even lions, tigers and other carnivora are harmless and not killers. People are contended with limited wants proportionate to availability from Kalpavřkşas (trees) without in anyway harming them. There are no crimes, wars, famines, droughts, floods etc. There is perfect symbiosis in living beings and other constituents of nature.
णत्थि असण्णी जीवा, णत्थि तहा सामिभिच्च भेदो य । विकलपहा जुद्धादीरुद्धणभावा दु ण हु होति ।
Tiloyapaņņatti, Ist Part, 4th Chapter -332 (In Sukhamā-Sukhamă era there is no division of society in masters and servants, nor are there conflicts, wars, jealousy and diseases).
Degradation:
In subsequent period of Sukhamā there was some decline in forest cover (Kalpavěkşas) because of increasing population and wants of people. By and large the conditions were peaceful and there was no significant degradation in natural environment. With increasing population and rising demands, slowly shrinking resources with resultant competitive greed in next, Sukhamā-Dukhamā period the effects were visible with soil erosion, declining productivity of forests (Kalpavşkşas) and consequent competitiveness. The perfect peaceful environment was getting stressed. The pressure on natural resources increased beyond the carrying capacity, rejuvenatability and sustainability during Dukhamā-Sukhamā period. Forests were destroyed and productivity of food, fibres etc from Kalpavěkşas declined considerably. The magnificent trees of numerous varieties fulfilling all the needs of people, were replaced by grasses and other inferior plant species. It was during this period that agriculture had its birth. More and more forests were cleared, cut and burnt to prepare vast areas for agriculture. The result was increasing erosion and consequent floods, droughts, famines, pestilences and wars. It was with the birth of agriculture that the concept of individual property developed. Earlier all natural resources were common property. Although before the onset of