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The Vikram Vol. XVIII No. 2 & 4, 1974
SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JAINA ETHICS
Dr. R. C. Dwivedi
Professor & Head Department of Sanskrit University of Udaipur
UDAIPUR
Essence of Jaina ethics provides the best rasion d'etre for Mahavira's relevance in our times. Melvin Radar in his book "Ethics and the Human Community" holds in opposition to the reletivist, subjective intuitional and a priori theories that ethics should be based upon human nature and its potentialities. He finds expression of man's deliberate attmpt to make himself at home in the universe through religious sense of community which enables him “to escape from his loneliness and self alienation" in the ancient Egyption religion, in the Confucian doctrine of human heartedness and universal kindness; the Taoist sense of mystic unity with nature; the Buddhist emancipation from self hood the Hindu vision of all-encom - passing, all-penetrating spirit; the Moslem idea of One God and One Humanity; the Hebraic devotion to a God of love and justice; and the Christian fellowship of all men in God.'
Moral aphorisms of all religions, including Jainism, confirm their community-mindedness. Religion that ignores society has no chance of survival.: Ethical ideals of universal love and brother-hood. Ahimsa, Charity, simplicity, chastity, truthfulness and non-attachment to worldly interests and gains are extolled in all religions. There may be some difference of emphasis on these ideals in one or the other religion but none preaches hatred, malice, pride, prejudice, passion exploitation of fellow human beings or disrespect of life in all its varied and various forms. And if religion is not to be mistaken for dogma or ritual which sometimes sanctioned intolerance and disrespect for Iffe, it can be affirmed without fear of contradiction that religion is no antithesis to humanism, social development, universal understanding and democratic spirit True Dharma founded on the cardinal ethical virtues is Sanatana, eterenal and universal.
Belief in God of any description or permanence of the soul or ela. borate metaphysics and ontology can wait for their turn or may even be discarded but concern for the alleviation of suffering of fellow human being and' his ultimate and absolute freedom or beatitute is to engage immediate and ever-lasting attention of all religions and ethical quests. In order to realise the Summum Bonum, a seemingly negative, purely individualistic and ascetic ethical discipline, in contrast to a more loving, burning and joyous ethical discipline, may be prescribed. But there is no radical difference between what is said to be the nagative and the positive ethical attitudes. If nothing else then history of the followers negates the prejudice of superiority of Western over the Eastern ethical ideal. It is with this basic understanding of religion or ethics that I approach to examine the social and contemporary significance of Jain ethical teachibgs.
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