Book Title: World Jain Conference 1987 4th Conference
Author(s): Satish Jain, Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Ahimsa International

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Page 150
________________ only the respectful tolerance of other creeds and religions but also genuine appreciation of their teachings and intelligent recognition of their importance. Hence, non-violence has bigger social dimension, because it is rooted in love and friendship. But love and friendship can flourish only in a climate of equality and fraternity. "We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another"-once wrote Jonathan Swift. Hence unless we cultivate a habit of seeing beyond the horizons of our own particulaar faith and believe that "religious fellowship" is possible, we shall be preparing grounds for religious violence. The problem of having 'world fellowship' is impossible without worldpeace and disarmament. Contemporary political thinking must be transformed and a new kind of politics adequate to the threat of atomic doom should be created. Now, at the brink, mere life depends on worthy living. Even hardheaded and eminent political scientist Margenthau asserts that to think conventionally about nuclear weapons is fallacious. Then there is the problem of polymorphous, or senseless violence all over the world called terrorist violence. But this is 'irrepressible violence' and we cannot wipe them out by reciting non-violence as a mantra. Subhas Chandra Bose once wrote to Roman Rolland that nonviolence cannot be at the pivot of all social action. "What must be at the centre of our concerns is the establishment of a more just and humane social order." If nonviolence has to take roots, it must usher a neo-polity, a new economics and new culture. The root of violence is in the 'I' consciousness or 'ego'. the validity of which is accepted by the human race as an authority. Because of this 'egoconsciousness", all our external structures and their the symbols capitalistic,the socialistic, the communistic, are collapsing. Mahavira realised it fully well and so he asked us to purify our Self with all impurities of attachment, avarice, envy etc. We cannot create a just social or economic order on the basis of 'ego' or selfishness. Selfishness is subversive of friendship and love. Hence Non-possession (Aparigraha) and parting away (visarjana) with property, assets or ownership, must form the foundiation of our new economic order. It will disarm enmity, class-conflict and unhealthy competition. Either we must have a world Economy' or face a WorldWar. The essentials of a religious revolution is its power to create goodwill. It must be relevant to the present needs of the society. Experimental verifiability is a must or else it would degenerate into orthodoxy and dogmatism. Let the Upasana (devotional) aspect be confined to devotee's wish or faith, but we must assert that the days of "personal religion" are over and we cannot enter the 21st Century without the conception of a "Universal Religion", Civilizations decline if there is a coarsening of moral fibre, if there is callousness of heart. Similarly, the concept of national sovereignty has become outdated. But in a nuclear world, either we must live together or perish together. National boundaries are becoming irrelevant and a great stumbling block to world peace. We must strengthen the United Nations and pave the way for a 'World Government.' 42 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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