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Doctrinal and Social Context of Non-Violent...: 69 does not mean uniformity but unity in spite of partial differences. (Ibid.: 12) The method obviously requires time, patience and discipline but these sacrifices are said to pay in the end.
However useful and successful Quakers' method of decision-making has proved, it did not save the growing community of schisms. On the other hand, Quakers have shown extraordinary ability to unite whenever it was useful for promoting their common attitudes. Outside the Quaker community, the decision-making method was first validated in the Pennsylvania Assembly, "which endeavored to reach decisions by general consent." (Williams 2002: 133) For Quakers, it was encouraging to find a similar way of reaching consensus and similar way of inviting women into discussion among Native Americans (Brinton 1952: 25) Individual Quaker authors have published a large number of books on mediation, decision-making and conflict management and deeply influenced secular theories and methods in this field that are used by both business and activist groups.
It could be summed up that both Jains and Quakers succeeded in developing unique and inspiring models of handling situations that threaten with a clash of opinions. While small religious, business, or activist groups will probably remain the objects where the Quakers' model can be primarily put into effect, the Jain philosophical triad owns potential for becoming a really powerful tool in "big" inter-religious and multi-cultural issues of today's world.
(4) Other similarities briefly considered
When dealing with adherents to religious traditions of Jains and Quakers, one cannot help noticing similarities in their way of life, their social standing, their relations to wider society, and undoubtedly in other connected spheres of their life. The following paragraphs are dedicated to short notes on some of them.
While the Quakers may represent puritan morality most of all, contemporary churches that have come out of Puritanism, the Jains' way of life is said to possess a "puritanical element" (Rankin 2007: 216) as well. The contemporary Indian sociologist Prakash Jain agreed with German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920)" when writing, "Many aspects of rational conduct promoting savings such as thriftiness, self-discipline, frugality and abstention as part of this worldly asceticism (...) are directly present in Jainism." (Jain, Prakash 2012: 141) Another description of a Jain householder is similar. He allegedly "works hard, conforms to conventions, obeys constituted authority, leads a frugal and unostentatious life and carefully calculates the consequences of every step he takes". (Williams 1983: xxii) Jains may have gained the fame of the "Puritans of India" thanks to their consciousness of absolute individual responsibility for life: According to the belief of Jains, no one, not even God, can intervene in favor of a human. To put it another way and even more frankly, "...whatever is not in our hand is of little significance." (Bhargava 2012: 204)
Puritan morality of Quakers is mostly derived from the example of Jesus: Quakers "sought to live in a manner consistent with their understanding of the voice of Christ Within. They looked to the example provided by Jesus, who did not dwell with the rich and powerful but rather the
