________________
all, irrespective of caste and creed. Its main object is to lead all men to salvation and admits within its sacred pall the Aryans and the Non aryans alike. In ancient times when the masses governed under a tyranic pristhood ,Jainism came forward and freed them from its tyrannical yoke. Like some of its contemporary religions it does not preach that the high born only, have the privilege of reading the sacred books and penetrating into the truths of religions. On the contrary it very nobly and boidly proclaims that Jainism is the common property at all, high and low, rich and poor and that everyone has the right of drinking at the fountain of knowledge revealed by the ancient Tirthankars. Thus Jainism has been the solace of millions of human beings and helped them in their evolution.
The essential criterion of Jainism has its spirit of absolute toleration and
been
nonpersecution.
The
Jains never forrel ihr: 11
religion upon others. They opened the treasures of
their religion before the masses and the latter
11. In ancient times, when mighty king like Chandra Gupta, Samprati, Kumarpal and several others were converted to Jainism and when it was
made a state religion, Jainism 11ke its hostile
sects, never took advantage of its patrons to persecute the followers of other religions.
page 52-53
