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Ch. 9: Mrigavati - War and Peace
essence of life. It is the call of every heart, whereas violence is damaging
to one's own soul. Violence kills us before we kill our enemies. It damages us internally by destroying our sensitivities and civility. Having killed us from within, himsa then wrecks external havoc." Mahavir was rapidly bringing down the artificial walls of hatred.
"I ask you, therefore, to abandon violence and save your souls from total destruction. One who spreads the poison of violence, bitter conflicts, and hatred is a devil in human form, but one who spreads the sweetness of love and compassion, and gives sanctuary to others is the divine soul in the human body. Only those who are selfdisciplined could provide a welldeveloped ethos in their people. A good ruler is self-disciplined, not self-destructive. He makes friends, not enemies; peace, not war; builds bridges, not walls; and cooperates, not competes with other kingdoms to provide security and comfort to all living beings. A person's caste, wealth, or power does not make him great, and winning wars, or a lavish lifestyle, do not make him happy.
A good ruler is self-disciplined, not self-destructive. He makes friends, not enemies; makes peace, not war; builds bridges, not walls; and cooperates, not competes with other kingdoms to provide security and comfort to all living beings.
Life is full of triumphs and tragedies. Intrigue and deceit may give you small victories, but you may then likewise become a victim of these hurtful acts by another person. Life is an endless cycle of such small victories and defeats. Real victory lies in winning the self! The greatest defeat is in losing to oneself; that is a truly disgraceful defeat! Other gems in Mahavir Bhagwan's peace message that day were:
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