Book Title: Wave of Bliss
Author(s): N P Jain
Publisher: Jain Meditation International Centre

Previous | Next

Page 67
________________ THE WAVE OF BLISS treated in the right loving way. Jains try not to give any trouble to animals, but without taking further interest in them or assisting them. The number of poor and helpneeding creatures in India is perhaps too gigantic for human forces. In Europe it is much easier. The climate is not so favourable to immense procreation. Prosperity allows good nourishment of animals, their sterilisation, provision of hospitals and ambulances etc. There are many well-functioning societies for the protection of animals. But the cultural development based on the Jewish Christian crazy idea of human supremacy permits slaughter houses and vivisection!" In another letter, equally powerful feeling is conveyed: "Since my childhood, I was interested in religions. My father, a historian told me often about oriental religions and in some way I began to take interest in India. Then I became a vegetarian and I was looking for a philosophy corresponding to my feelings of compassion for animals, not only ill-treated by mankind, but also from the nature itself. So I began to study Buddhism and later I discovered the Jains and their rigorous rejection of any violence". Trude Fontana expressed a deep desire to visit Jain pilgrimage centres, having seen only Mt. Abu during the previous visit to India. Beryl has grasped the essence of Jainism and is keen to translate into practice aparigraha (non-attachment). She writes: "I am selling my land, my paintings, my jewellery. I want to clear every debt of every shape or form that I ever had. I do not want so much as a piece of saw dust to keep me from perfect awareness of myself. I do not want things. I want freedom from Karma. I want all souls to be free and I do not want in any way, in the smallest, tiniest 58

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106