Training in Nonviolence

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Anuvrat Global Organization

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The Secret of Inner Happiness
Dharma (religion) should be instrumental in bringing about our emotional and qualitative growth. The fruit of dharma is compassion (karuna). Let us awaken our consciousness of compassion and equanimity towards all living beings. Bereft of compassion and sensitivity, a question mark arises over our religiousness. Dharma should lead to the transformation of our consciousness and improvement in human relationship. If a person is devoid of compassion, the principle of human rights is of no avail. It is imperative that religious leaders, administrators and chiefs are imbued with compassion and sympathy. These qualities should also be reflected in their behaviour. If there is compassion in society, it will remain healthy. Dharma is being defiled and degraded in many communities on account of their contradictory norms of conduct and social practices. Where there is cruelty, we cannot build a healthy society. In order to understand the true nature of dharma, one will have to purge one's mind of a feeling of cruelty.
Today man's greed for wealth has increased to such an extent that it will be better for us to call him arthapurusha (one who hankers after wealth) instead of dharamapurush (religious person). Material objects are necessary for a person's living but it is not right to develop excessive attachment towards them. Owning a material object is not parigraha (possessiveness) but it is one's covetousness for it that can be described as parigraha. It is of two kinds - dravya parigraha (material possession) and bhava parigraha (deep attachment to a material possession). In other words a feeling of attachment for a material object or what we call wealth, pieces of land, houses, cattle etc. is bhav parigraha. It is this form of parigraha that is at the root of violence. Cruelty is too associated with this sort of possessiveness.
Human rights can be preserved only if human relations improve. The problems that we see in the world today emanate from an unjust and unfair economic system. For the solution of these problems, it is imperative that we effect changes and improvements in our economic coordination.
The balance between the four pursuits - dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (desire) and moksa (liberation) - has been upset. The whole world is now
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