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had been the pride and glory of India, and with which the foreiga kings from the West and the East sougnt friendlý alliance.
Historioally, therefore, the great periods of Indian history, were all associated with the doctrine of Ahunsā. But political decline diay be said to have begun with Hindu rovivalism, which undermined the early Indian empires built by the Jaina sovereigns and wbich stood for social democracy. Intrinsically, the doctrine of Ahimsā instead of being the mark of cowardice appears to be the quality of the courageous victor. It requires a greater strength of self to face injury than to inflict it. This was the attitude of Christ on the cross : when he was insulted by Roman soldiers, he merely cried, " Father, they know not what they do Forgive them.” Similarly whenever a Jaina saint was subjected to all sorts of persecutions by enemies, he never swerved from the path of contemplation but merely smiled in pity for the folly of the ignorant enemy who by injuring the monk, injured himself by walking the path of spiritual damnation, Smiling at the enemy inspite of persecution is a mark of the superman-the victor-who walks on the Path leading to the conquest of Self. No doubt this doctrine is chosen as & method of liberating modern India to its full status of freedom and liberty by one of the great leaders of Modern India. This experiment for the betterment of social conditions in India is not confined to India; its possibilities have world-wide value, and may be applicable to the whole world. The so-called Western civilisation based upon National aggrandisement and consequently generating national animosity cannot preserve itself, unless it accepts this fundamental doctrine of Ahimsā as international ideal of Live and Lot Live. Not only this dootrine of Ahimsā is intended to be a panacea for the ills of the world, but also the last doctrine-of Parimita Parigraba-is necessary for the economic re-construction of the world. The Russian ex. periment of communism,-a form of economic levelling down the institutions of property, is opposed to the existing system of capitalistio economios. As a compromise between these two economic institutions, we must have a process of social reconstruction
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