Universal Message of Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Dulichand Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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INTRODUCTION
Jainism, one of the world's oldest religious traditions, is a religion of values. Every year, the Jaina community celebrates “Paryūṣaṇa Parva", a festival for eight days, in which lectures and talks are delivered on the ten values of Dharma. Lord Mahāvīra said, “Supreme forgiveness, supreme humility, supreme straightforwardness, supreme truthfulness, supreme purity, supreme self-restraint, supreme austerity, supreme renunciation, supreme detachment, and supreme continence are the ten characteristics of Dharma." (Kārtikeyanuprekṣā, 70)
Despite great strides made by science and information technology, the world is suffering from discontent and disharmony, which has resulted in violence, hatred, conflict and destruction. Scientific progress has provided considerable comfort and conveniences and brought plenty within the reach of all, but it has neither assured peace and happiness for the individual nor has it rid the world of poverty, social conflicts, fundamentalism and dogmatism. Mahāvīra's teachings constitute a way of life and offer solutions to the manifold problems which mankind faces in the present day.
Lord Mahāvīra (599 B.C.-527 B.C.) was the 24h Tīrthankara of Jaina religion; he stressed on non-violence, equality, universal brotherhood and compassion. In 1993 when I published my first book "Jinavāņi Ke Moti" in Hindi, I selected inspiring aphorisms from Jaina Āgamas on 71 subjects. In 1997, that book was translated to English under the title “ Pearls of Jaina Wisdom”.
Since then, I have been participating in several meetings, study circles, symposiums and seminars in the country and