A friend came to my house the other day and seeing a number of books on Jainism and Mahaveer piled on my table and lying in the bookshelf commented acidly, "So you people are celebrating the 2500th NIRVANA anniversary of Bhagwaan Mahaveer &endash; sheer waste of money, utterly useless!"

My friend is educated and enlightened. His remarks, though sarcastic, did not surprise me, since I had heard such remarks from others too. However, before I could say anything, he tried to elaborate his point, "You know we were slaves for a long time. Why? Because we were weak and the country was lifeless. Like other religions that preach nonviolence, limiting desires, austerity, etc., Jainism is responsible for reducing us to the state of impotence."

My friend paused for a moment and seeing me in no hurry to take my chance, he continued, "Your nonviolence teaches that if you are slapped on the left cheek, turn your right one also. What is all that? No nation can exist by meekly submitting to the aggressor. 'The survival of the fittest' holds much good today as well. Then again, your religion emphasizes that our desires should be curtailed and we should set a limit on our material possessions. Well, how can a country progress if people lead a life of contentment, and do not aspire and struggle for acquiring more and more of material prosperity?"

My friend seemed to be in a fit of excitement and my silence added fuel to the fire. He poured out, "My friend, I am fully convinced that we must have a religion which enables us to return the slap with a blow and encourages us to have unlimited wants, because it is a simple principle that if there is no want, there is no struggle and if there is no struggle, there is no progress."

When the excitement of my friend exhausted, I smiled and said, "Is that all that you have to say?"

Now my friend seemed to be in a mood to listen. I told him that he had not understood Jainism properly. "Nonviolence," I added, "has never been a weapon of the weak. The shaking hand can never perform a successful operation. Similarly, a timid person can never use the weapon of nonviolence. Jainism has always held that nonviolence was the weapon of the strong. What we call nonviolence today is not nonviolence. To be nonviolent, one has to be brave, truthful, non-possessive (APARIGRAHI, limiting one's desires and possessions), and above all full of compassion even for one's adversary. Look at Mahaveer. He had all these virtues. Look at Mahatma Gandhi. The nonviolence practiced by them was the real nonviolence. Today we are like a mouse, that confronting a cat, says, 'I am nonviolent. I will no do harm to my enemy.' But in its heart, it prays that the cat might die so that it is saved. Timidity and nonviolence can never go together."

My friend interrupted me, "Well, how could one be strong without physical power?"

I replied, "What physical force did Mahaveer or Gandhi have? They had a body which was full of tremendous spiritual power, far superior to any physical power. Jainism had always been a religion of the warriors &endash; warriors who had the courage to die rather than kill, and you know, killing is easier than dying."

Finding my friend receptive, I continued, "The fundamental principles of Jainism can make us and our nation very strong, but unfortunately this religion has lost its dynamic force to a great extent. The AHIMSA (nonviolence), APARIGRAH (non-possessiveness), ANEKAANT (multiplicity of viewpoints) and other basic tenets of Jainism have been reduced to mere polemics. Mahaveer, whose very name denotes bravery and whose deeds are shining examples of heroism, has been installed in temples as deity and is hardly seen in the lives of his followers."

My friend interrupted, "That is why I say that Jainism has weakened us and our country."

"No," I said, "You are not right. It is not the religion which has weakened the country, it is the followers of that religion who are bereft of the requisite qualities of that great religion. We have scholars of religion in large number but very few people who follow it in spirit. A renowned thinker has said, 'Thought without action is abortion,' and most of us are proving it today."

My friend jumped with a sense of triumph, "Oh, you are supporting my point."

"No," I said, "You are again mistaken. What I am driving at is that Jainism is faultless. The Jain religion is glorious, but its glory has to be revived. It will be possible only when we follow the religion not merely in thought but also in action. We have the three jewels (RATNATRAYA), rational perception (SAMYAK DARSHAN), rational knowledge (SAMYAK JNAAN) and rational conduct (SAMYAK CHAARITRA) for the attainment of NIRVANA (MOKSHA). We follow the first two and not the third one. True religion is that which sustains life. We try to build up a house without foundation."

My friend was no longer in delusion. We grasped the point and pondered seriously, "Bhagwaan Mahaveer's NIRVANA Celebration then offers an opportunity to remove the rust from the unique weapons of Jainism to wield them effectively. . . . "

Just then somebody knocked. Another friend marched in with his own problem and that terminated our conversation.

Footnote:

1) Slightly edited version of the article originally published in the Jain Study Circular, October 1980.
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