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Controversy over the word Ahimsa
Life needs everywhere the philosophy of tolerance, and this comes through long effort. Personal interest may take us easily to tolerance, but in religious spheres, where such interest is not prevalent, why we do not find tolerance? The reason is that we lack patience and the spirit of co-existence and non-violence. Non-Violence is the outer face of religion, self conrol is the very life and soul of religion and devotion is the light of religion.
At this stage Shree Bhadant Anand Kaushalyayan took the floor to express his views regarding the dropping of the word 'Ahimsa' in the resolution on Ahimsa Research Institute in the morning session. He said,
"The Resolution on Research Centre for Ahimsak Studies has not received as much of emphasis as it deserved. By means of Truth and Love alone, divorced from Ahimsa or Non-Violence we cannot achieve any success in the world."
Controversy on the use of the word 'Ahimsa'
He was SO insistent on retaining the word 'Ahimsa' in the resolution that without it, he was even prepared to withdraw his support to the resolution that he had given earlier. This was sounded not only as a personal opposition but one from all the the countries professing Buddhistic religion, with the result that a pandemonium prevailed for the time being. Though Sant Tukdo ji, Maulana Hafiz-ur-Rehman and Sahu Shanti prasad Jain were for retrieving the word, 'Ahimsa' in the resolution, but some of the delegates were vehemently opposed to it. The confusion grew worse confounded and a widening breach between the delegates threatened the proceedings of the Conference. Muni Sushil Kumar was at his wit's end for he had sponsored the Conference on the very basis of Ahimsa, and when all his efforts seemed to bear no fruit, he had no other way but to keep aloof from the proceedings.
Seeing this situation Sant Tukdo ji made a fervent appeal to the delegates to lay the foundations of world-peace on the three cornerstones of Truth, Love and Ahimsa, as they were complimentary to each other and none of them could reasonably be dropped out.
Maulana Hafiz-ur-Rehman then said
"It does not behove us to be quarelling amongst ourselves like politicians, be carried away with feelings of distrust and suspicion and become laughing stock of religious leaders from far and near. Truth, Love and Non-Violence are the fundamentals of this Conference and we cannot do without any one of them. Non-Violence paves the way for Universal
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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