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PEACE AND COMMUNAL HARMONY: JAIN PERSPECTIVE The man* is the supreme creation in the grand design of nature. He is the creator, preserver and destroyer with the unlimited potency of nature. These three elements together make the personality of man extremely complex. He is egoist, and therefore, 'Self' - centred. The self-centred psychology of man in relation to his fellow beings creates complex problems in the society which disturb the peace and communal harmony at various levels within the family as well as in the society which is composed of various religious, philosophical, cultural, political and economic groups which are equally conscious of their self identity. Jainism is a kind of realistic and pluralistic philosophy, as it accepts the existence of the eternal world and many ultimate realities. As a religion it unveils the meaning and purpose of life. Its attitude towards other religions is that of non-criticism. It preaches universal tolerance and humanitarianism. Its main contents are: Soul and its transmigration, karma, bondage or chain of karmas (actions and their reactions), and the Moksha or liberation of soul from the bondage of Karma. According to Jain Philosophy, the world was not created by any body. It is everlasting (ANADINIDHAN) and exists by the power of its substances, viz., soul, matter, space, time, dharma and adharma (principles of motion and rest: Dynamics
The glory of the Jain tradiion is that its followers, kings and commoners, and monks and householders(Shravakas) strive to preserve the essence of its tenets through mutual love and universal brotherhood. It is for this reason that Jains in their long drawn tradition never had any crusade or struggle against any other religion for domination, conversion, or supremacy. They follow the principles of 'Live and let live'propounded by Bhagwan Mahavira and earlier Tirthankaras. A most recent example of this mutual co-existence is the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti on 29th March 1999 which also happened to be the Bakra-Id or Id-Uzzuha of Muslims when they sacrifice a a goat as their religious principle. The two occasions were in sharp contradiction with each other. The birth day of Bhagwan Mahavir signifies the principle. The two occasions were in sharp contradiction with each other. The birth day of Bhagwan Mahavir signifies the principle of non-violence (Ahimsa), whereas on Bakra Id an innocent animal is slaughtered. The jains through out the country approached their Muslim brethren to close their slaughter houses and also avoid sacrificing the goat. A large number of Muslims accepted the request of Jains, but in certain areas they did not accept. However, the day passed off peacefully without any tension anywhere. The eoist/self - centred element of man's psyche was realised by the earliest Jain philosophers in the pre-historic times. Acharya Umaswami in his TATWARTHASUTRA MOKSHA SHASTRA (a treatise on Jain Philosophy, ecology and spiritual and social ethics) wrote: Parasparopagraho Jivanam. (Chap. 5, Sutra 21) (all living beings should live by mutual cooperation with each other). There is no reference here for Jains alone, but for all Jivas (living beings, human rights and duties and therefore the need for mutual cooperation and peaceful co-existence. According to Jain philosophy, efforts towards the attainment of Moksha (liberation of soul from the bondage of karma) are essential for every follower of Jain religion, but the path of moksha is not an easy one. The Jain path of purification is to be practised while living in the society. For a peaceful and co-existential living, it is necessary to recognise the basic needs of others and their right to live. The Tatwarthasutra Moksha Shastra prescribes the ten codes of conduct (Dashalakshan Dharma) as follows: (Chap. 9, Sutra 6)
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