Observations & Views:

"The tragic loss of life and wanton destruction caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11 (2001) has raised my consciousness of other global tragedies.

"Every day, 24,000 people worldwide die of hunger for lack of grains and legumes fed to animals raised for food. Another 18,000 die of chronic diseases linked conclusively with the consumption of these animals.

"Every day, 125 million innocent sentient animals are butchered, frequently still conscious, after a lifetime of caging, crowding and deprivation in the world's factory farms. For every human being who dies of warfare, crime or terrorism, 10,000 innocent, sentient animals die a violent death."

According to the basic teachings of Jainism, one can attain happiness and peace of mind through the practice of virtues. Further, practice of nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, purity of body and mind and non-possessiveness brings about peace and harmony in society. Disregarding this unique feature of the Jain religion, Jains all over the world are engaged in organizing grandiose ritualistic celebrations and worships for world peace and other fanciful 'good causes'. A press bulletin of one such extravagant Jain worship for world peace celebrated in India contains phrases like '2600 jewels will be dedicated', 'JAPYA (silent recitation) of each PUJAN will be performed with 108 jewels', 'devotees will . . . assimilate a lot of PUNYA' and 'this MAHAYAGNA will disperse the rays of peace and bliss throughout the nation and the world as per the dire need of today'.

Evidently tons of money must have been spent. Do the fundamental tenets of Jainism say that world peace can be achieved by spending money on rituals or do we have to move away from materialism for attaining our auspicious goals? Are these the right kind of examples set by our community for the rest of the society? In my view, it is desirable for all Jains, rich and poor, to renounce ego, deception, greed and possessiveness, and proclaim that as the followers of the religion of Bhagwaan Mahaveer, we will not succumb to the pressures of present-day society. We will not indulge in vices such as tax-evasion, bribery and corruption. Our conduct should be truthful and straightforward. We should support each other in this endeavor. Instead of empty and vain pronouncements regarding nonviolence, compassion, tolerance, unity among Jains, supremacy of our religion (PRADHAANAM SARVA DHARMAANAAM), delivered from lofty platforms, practicing the teachings of our religion in our daily lives constitutes a true celebration of Bhagwaan Mahaveer's Twenty-six Hundredth Birth Anniversary.

- D. C. J.

A young business executive took home some work to complete for an important meeting the next day. Every few minutes his five-year-old son would interrupt his chain of thought. After several such interruptions, the young executive spotted the evening paper with a map of the world on it. He took the map, tore it into a number of pieces, and told his son to put the map together again. He figured this would keep the little fellow busy for a long time and he could complete his work.

However, in about three minutes the boy excitedly told his dad he had finished. The young executive was astonished and asked the boy how he had done it so quickly. The little guy said, "There was a picture of a man on the other side, so I just turned it over and put the man together. When I got the man right, the world was right.

Needless to say, when you get yourself right, your world will also be right.

"Hinduism does not have a pope who claims he alone is in contact with God and he alone knows the ultimate truth and, therefore, can control the thinking of others. . . . Hinduism started as an intellectual inquiry and not as an irrational indoctrination. . . . There is an animating power in us and so there must be one in the universe, and since it is difficult to understand a much vast universe, let us understand ourselves. They (our ancestors) came to believe in a principle governing the universe (like the law of gravity affecting everywhere) and called it PARAMAATMAN, or the Absolute Soul, neither male or female. It is not an anthropomorphic being with all the feelings of hatred, anger, jealousy, love, etc.

"The Hindu concept of the Supreme Being is a lofty concept, and this sublimity of concept sets it apart from all other religions in the world in recorded human history. Since it is difficult for most people to imagine and worship a Being without shape or form, our ancestors began to imagine various allotropic forms of that Being - even as a chemist can see that diamond, graphite, coal, etc., are all forms of one element, or to change the metaphor, the white light might appear as green, red and blue. Therefore, the Hindus think that the infinite can be seen in the finite and the formless in form. . . . The emphasis in Hinduism is on democracy, that is, on individual choice and individual responsibility. It is based on the assumption that each individual soul knows how to get back to the Absolute Soul and is in itself divinely informed. It would be presumptuous for any other soul to think it is, in comparison with others, essentially different and superior and, therefore, can lead all other souls. The principle of individuals answering for their deeds, enshrined in the karma doctrine (advanced by Indian religions) was quietly expunged by the Church at the Council of Constantinople in AD 551 (see the British scholar Christmas Humphreys' Karma and Rebirth, John Murray, 1972, page 16). This enabled the Church to get a powerful hold on its followers, who must now seek salvation through the Church and Church alone.

"Self-knowledge, therefore, became the key (of Hinduism). Unlike the religions of the West, Hinduism is unique in at least two respects. It is the only religion which started with an inquiry and the only one without that vehement assertion and which, for a moment, even questions the existence of a Supreme Power and shows skepticism. Secondly, what it wants to say is said most of the time symbolically and the words are not to be taken literally. Therefore, a Westerner is often misled in trying to understand Hinduism.

"The greatest virtue of Hinduism is it does not criticize any other religion and treats all religions with respect, which is a hallmark of a mature religion with its own sense of security in its internal strength."

Everyone is impressed by the charitable work done by missionary hospitals in the developing nations. It is also a well-known fact that, in many instances, charitable hospitals in the United States favor insured patients and discriminate against the poor who are unable to pay. This indicates that charity is employed as a tool for proselytizing. It is sad that charitable hospitals in India too are not operated in the true spirit of religion and charity. In a feature, published in the Hindustan Times of March 7, 2001, Vibha Sharma writes, "For most of the capital's charitable hospitals, the greatest casualty is charity. Or so it seems if findings of the Justice Qureshi Committee are to be believed. The committee was constituted to inquire into the state of charitable hospitals. Sources said the committee has come across 'gross irregularities' in the functioning of three main charitable hospitals in Delhi.

"Land at prime locations is given to hospital trusts and registered societies at highly concessional rates. They, in turn, are expected to carry out certain percentage of charitable work, either by way of making provisions in their budget or by doing free work. However, most of the charitable hospitals were not functioning, as they should be. In most cases, there has been a deliberate attempt by the trustees or managers to pass over the management of the hospital, which is a very valuable property, into private hands."

In recent days, the worlds attention has been focused on the process of globalization, which has so greatly accelerated in the past decade and which you and other leaders of the industrialized nations have discussed in Genoa. While appreciating the opportunities for economic growth and material prosperity which this process offers, the church cannot but express profound concern that our world continues to be divided, no longer by the former political and military blocs, but by a tragic fault line between those who can benefit from these opportunities and those who seem cut off from them. The revolution of freedom of which I spoke at the United Nations in 1995 must now be completed by a revolution of opportunity, in which all the world's peoples actively contribute to economic prosperity and share in its fruits. This requires leadership by those nations whose religious and cultural traditions should make them most attentive to the moral dimension of the issues involved. Respect for human dignity and belief in the equal dignity of all the members of the human family demand policies aimed at enabling all peoples to have access to the means required to improve their lives

Home / email us