Santbal A Saint with a Difference

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir

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Materialism has been the end of the main current of Western civilization. Even Marx and other social thinkers - with some rare exceptions - have always sought human happiness and social harmony on the material basis, not on spiritual basis. as is being done by oriental thinkers. But capitalism as well as communism have failed to bring harmony in the social structure.
The root question is: How this social harmony can be established? Has materialism which is based on the pursuit of self-interest not failed to establish social harmony? Is it desirable to continue the state of social imbalances and conflicts? Do we do not need to reconsider all these problems afresh? There is nothing new in such reconsideration. All sober philosophers and thinkers of the world have already shown the way which Santbalji has reemphasised by stating that the only answer to our problems is the reconstruction of the human society on moral and ethical basis – not on material basis of self-interest.
He further pointed out that the social forces should have harmony and should maintain proper balance as between them and if such a balance is not maintained, the matter should be set right by what he called "Shuddhi-Prayog”. This approach is quite logical and rational, though it may be difficult for us to follow in view of the wrong training which we have received through ages.
There were two basic postulates which guided the activities of social reconstruction undertaken by him. They were : (1) reconstruction of the social order on spiritual basis, (44EC0227 214107241) and (2) trying to solve social incongruities by adopting methods which are consistant with the first postulate. It was his firm belief that both the postulates were consistant with Jain doctrines and should be adopted in every corner of India by the saintly order (vide Santbal's Foreword to the Book titled Darma Naya Samaj Rachana Ka Prayog by Muni Shri Nemicahndra).
He, therefore, devoted the whole of his life to social causes and remained constantly engaged in the work of rendering aid to the
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