YJA Convention 1996 07 San Francisco CA Second

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 38

violent doctrine, one which is prone to the annihilation of mankind. It is widely accepted that if there is a nuclear war, the entire planet will suffer from ill-heath, malnutrition, loneliness, and finally death. The theory of evolution does not even pass as a scientific theory in the eyes of many eminent scientists, yet it is still being actively 'preached' in schools and colleges worldwide.
Satya (truth)
Gandhiji wrote: "Throughout history, battles have been won and lost, but the way of truth has always prevailed unblemished'. In the struggle for independence of India, he felt that it is the birthright of all nations to govern themselves and give its people an identity. He devoted a major part of his life toward expressing and realizing the truth and we all know the result.
Aparigraha (non-acquisition)
Jain should lead a simple life, limiting their possessions to necessities. Acquisition of material goods leads one to attachment and hence pain if for some reason, the goods or wealth is lost. Happiness is about freedom from pain and hence can only come from leading a life of simplicity and non-attachment. That is the bold message of Aparigraha.
Western society appears to have an exactly opposite philosophy; consume more, enjoy life while you can; wealth is paramount importance and without money, life is not worth living. A beautiful car will make others admire it and thus respect the owner. With what consequences? A society where there is no social fabric; where divorces increase by the day; where drugs are the major source of 'happiness': where human emotions like love, friendship and compassion are becoming a rarity; where stress has become part of everyday language; Surely this cannot be a 'happy' or successful' society?
Asteya (non-stealing)
Jains should not acquire anything which does not genuinely belong to them. This will never make anyone happy in the long run. We can argue that most people are not thieves anyway, but this principle has more far reaching implications e.g. how often do we exploit our employment services for personal benefit?; taxation represents revenue that belongs to the government and not the individual or corporation; exploiting employees without giving them remuneration they deserve for their efforts can also classify as a form of 'stealing'.
It is easy to counter some of these points; e.g. by charging high taxes, the government is stealing from the public! However, the important message is not to interpret these principles in an extreme way but to reason with them if one accepts the underlying philosophy as true, then to start practicing them slowly and with full knowledge and reflection.
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