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THE COMMON WELFARE
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is not moral, it is utterly immoral It works against common welfare' He exhorted the monks to eradicate such a system thus-MonksWander far and wide Preach the rich and the poor uniformly The code of conduct for the high-born is identical with that for the low-born I have propounded a common dharma for both'
The differences of individuality should not encroach upon the sacrosanct realms of existence The realm of dharma coincides with that of existence. It can keep itself intact by ignoring the individual differences
The father of Nyaya philosophy, sage Gautam, has in his system approved of prevarication and subterfuge for the sake of religious advantage It might be appreciated as a means of far-reaching significance for the benefit of a system But in the context of existence it has no validity Lord Mahavira insisted on strict non-violence even while arguing with an opponent Triumph and defeat bear significance for an individualist A votary of existence is indifferent to both in the domain of consciousness the two disputationists are endowed with consciousness equally Where is the significance of one winning over the other? The concern for success or failure is a privilege of the individualist A votary of existence cares a fig for either
In respect of disputations Lord Mahavira has laid down the following three principles.1 Disputation be had only to satisfy the genuine curiosity
of a wisdom-seeker 2 Success and failure be not precipitated in a disputation. 3 No argument and reason be adopted that might be un
palatable to the adversary
A votary of existence does not regard an individual as an individual but as truth, as a radiance of conscious self His piercing eye goes beyond individuality to where existence is. In that transcendental context the questions of who and whose follower have no relevance Such narrow considerations arise in the petty context of individuality only Truth is
