Book Title: Studies in Jainism
Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
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STUDIES IN JAINISM can be established and prosperity can be secured on earth through non-violence, mutual faith, co-operation, and the sacrifice of one's own interest for the sake of others.
THE MEANING OF PEACE
The term 'peace has various connotations. It means freedom from. or cessation of, mental or spi disturbances or conflicts arising from passion and sense of guilt. It also means freedom from, or cessation of, war or hostilities. Intrinsically peace meanis a state of tranquillity of mind. It is inner peace or peace of mind. But extrinsically peace means cessation of war and hostilities. It is external peace of, or peace in, society. Peace requires a soul emptied of passions and desires. According to St. Aquinas, peace implies two things : first, we should not be disturbed by external things and second, our desires should find rest in one. This inner peace can also be described from negative and positive view-points. Negatively it is the state of the cessation of all the passions and desires. It is freedom from the victors of attachment and aversion. Positively it is the state of bliss and contentment. But these positive and negative aspects of inner peace are like the two sides of the same coin; they could not exist without each other. As far as outer peace or peace in society is concerned, it can be defined negatively as a cessation of war and hostilities and positively as a state of social harmony and co-existence. The real external peace is more than non-war. It is a vital peace. The real peace means progress of human race as a whole. But we must be aware of the fact that this external or environmental peace depends on the inner peace of individuals, since it is only an outcome of inner peace. These various phases of peace are not mutually exclusive, but inclusive. The peace of society is disturbed when the mental peace of individuals is disturbed and vice versa. Hostilities and wars are the expression and outcome of the aggressive and selfish mentality of individuals. Though the social conditions and disorder may be responsible for the disturbance of mental peace, yet they cannot disturb the persons who are spiritually strong. The inner peace of the
