Universal Message of Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Dulichand Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Universal Message of Lord Mahāvīra
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life and said, "All living beings desire to live, they wish to relish pleasure; loath misery, shun annihilation; enjoy life and like to live long." In short, life is dear to all beings. He further said, "Knowing that all the evils and sorrows arise from injury to living beings, and (knowing further) that it leads to unending enmity and hatred, and is the (root) cause of great fear, a wise man, who has become awakened, should refrain from all violent (harmful) activities."
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Today mankind has forgotten the above values of Ahimsa. The result is that it is suffering from the effects of violence, hatred, disharmony and degradation of all resources of nature. Let us try to take remedial steps so that mankind leads a life full of harmony and happiness.
Man: an Economic Machine?
The modern civilisation based entirely on the material i.e. the economic plane has resulted in the persona of man being cabined into an economic animal. Naturally, it has not helped him to attain any measure of real happiness. He has tried several 'isms', but they have not solved his problems. The latest striking example of Communism is before us. Born with a loud bang for ensuring welfare and dignity of man, and for equality and upliftment of the common masses, it has collapsed like a house of cards. The masses in Communist countries themselves have risen in revolt and thrown it into the dustbin of history -their dreams of a proletariat of heaven having turned into a nightmare of serfdom and starvation. The same is going to be the fate of the western society dominated by American Capitalism. Mr. E. F. Schumacher says that America having just 6 percent of world's population is