________________
Vol. XIX No. 4
195 not only in India but all over the world class-conflicts are becoming furious day by day and thus disturbing the peace and harmony of human society.
Jainism, from its inception, accepts the oneness of human race and opposes these man made divisions of caste and creed. Lord Mahāvira declared that human race is onell'. He further says that there is nothing like inferiority among them. All men are equal in their potentiality. None is superior and inferior as such. It is not the class but the purification of self or a good conduct that makes one superior. 12 It is only through the concept of equality and unity of mankind, which Jainism preached, from the very beginning. that we can eradicate the problem of disintegration and class-conflict. It is mutual faith and co-operation which can help us in this regard.
Jaina ācāryas hold that it is not the mutual conflict but mutual co-operation, which is the law of living. In his work Tattvārtha sūtra Umāswāti maintains that mutual co operation is the essential nature of human beings 18. It is only through mutual faith, co-operation and unity that we can pave the way to proserity and peace of mankind. Though Jainas believe in the unity of mankind, yet for them unity doesn't mean abosolute unity. By unity they mean an organic-whole, in which every organ has its individual existence but work for a common goal, i.e. human good. For them unity means, 'unity in diversity'. They maintain that every race, every religion and every culture has full right to exist, with all its peculiarities, but at the same time, it is its pious duty to work for the welfare of the whole humanity and be prepared to sacrifice its own interest in the larger interest of humanity. In the Jaina text namely Sthānāñgasūtra there is the mention of Grāmadharma, Nagaradharma, Rāştradharına etc. 14 refer. ing to one's duty to-wards one's village, city and nation that has to be fulfilled. Problem of Economic Inequality and Consumer Culture
Economic inequality and vast differences in the mode
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
