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श्रीमद् विजयराजेन्द्रसूरि-स्मारक-प्रय man,' the Universal man' or the 'Adarsha purusha,' and the 'Uttama Purusha' of Indian culture. As far as I have come to understand from my short study of Indian culture, it was for the realisation of the above objective that the saints and sages of ancient India had formulated the various systems of ethics and philosophy.
There are many other common features in the Yamato and Indian cultures. All these social customs and religious ideals prove beyond doubt that Indians and Japanese belong to the common stock with identical national and spiritual aspirations in life. .
Jainulogy has not penetrated the shores of Japan. But some research scholars in India think that the teachings of Mahavira, the last Teacher of the Jaina religion bave influenced Lo-tse, the old Master of China, to formulate the Taoist ideals of life. I do not know how far this view is correct as evidence is wanting to prove this theory. On the other hand, if this theory can be proved, it can be safely asserted that Jain cultural ideals have influenced Japan through Taoism, which was introduced in our country long before we heard of Buddhism from Korea and China.
Japan is indebted to India for her cultural heritage. Japan knew tbe tenets of the Buddha in or about the 6 th century A.D. Today, there are more than 12 sects of Buddhists in my country and more than five crores of the people are followers of the Buddha. Japan is one of the foremost countries in Asia where Buddhistic traditions. both of the Hinayana and Mahāyāna are well preserved.
I pay my homage to Lord Mabávira, the Prince of Peace and the last Teacher of the Jaina religion. Indo-Japanese cultural cooperation is an indispensable factor for developing international peace. May the people of India and Japan unite together to achieve this noble end.
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