Yugin Parivesh Me Mahavir Ke Siddhant - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Yugin Parivesh me Mahavir ke Siddhant" by Sagarmal Jain, focusing on the relevance of Lord Mahavir's principles in the contemporary world:

The book, based on a broadcast from Akashvani Varanasi, addresses the pervasive unrest and tension in today's world. Despite advancements in knowledge and technology, humanity faces spiritual, mental, and social impoverishment. The author, Sagarmal Jain, argues that intellectual development and material comforts have failed to curb human selfishness and greed. Increased interconnectedness has paradoxically widened emotional distances between people, and despite security measures, fear and aggression persist. The development of destructive weapons poses an existential threat to humankind. Economic prosperity has not eliminated greed, leading to a stark division between the rich and the poor, the exploiter and the exploited. The most technologically and economically advanced nations, like the USA, are struggling with mental stress and crime.

The core tragedy of modern life, according to Jain, is the loss of a natural, simple lifestyle due to excessive artificiality. Humans exhibit a primal "animal nature" internally while projecting a "civilized" facade. This dissonance between internal desires and external behavior is the root of human suffering. Driven by attachment, greed, fear, anger, selfishness, and deceit, humanity faces dual conflicts: internal mental turmoil and external social disorder. While adept at understanding nuclear technology, humans neglect the values necessary for a harmonious life. Scientific progress has eroded old values without the creation of new ones, leaving society in a state of value vacuum and on the brink of annihilation.

The author then outlines the key problems of contemporary human life:

Mental Inner Conflict: This is caused by desires and aversions (raag-dwesh) and their manifestations like anger, ego, deceit, and greed (krodh, maan, maya, lobh). These disturb mental equanimity and lead to unbalanced behavior. Lord Mahavir emphasized overcoming these emotions through Vitaragta (non-attachment) and Samabhav (equanimity). Equanimity, he stated, is the sole characteristic of Dharma. Disparity leads to irreligion, while equality is Dharma. Attachment (mamata) causes suffering, while detachment (nirmamta) brings happiness. Happiness and suffering are subjective, not objective, and depend on our mental state.
Social and Caste Conflicts: These stem from narrow identification with "my family," "my caste," "my religion," or "my nation." This creates a sense of "us" and "them," leading to nepotism, casteism, and communalism, hindering harmonious human relations. Lord Mahavir's message was that all humankind is one (Ega Manusassa Jati), and dividing humanity based on caste, creed, or nation is a grave offense. He advocated for recognizing the unity of humanity and treating every individual with respect, transcending narrow group identities. The pride of caste or lineage is a great enemy of humanity. True greatness comes from virtue, austerity, and renunciation, not birth. Mahavir rejected the supremacy of any particular class or caste, accepting individuals from all strata into his spiritual order. He declared that one is not a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra by birth but by conduct. Thus, Mahavir paved the way for social equality and human welfare by denouncing caste-based divisions and arrogance.
Ideological Conflicts: Today, ideological, political, and religious conflicts are rampant, with people often resorting to violence in the name of religion. The root cause, according to Mahavir, is the belief in the absolute superiority of one's own ideology and the condemnation of others. Mahavir stressed that Anekantavada (the doctrine of manifold aspects) aims to foster coordination and harmony between different religions, sects, and ideologies. He taught that an insistent perspective prevents us from seeing the truth. His teaching is one of Anagrah (non-attachment to views). We must respect truth wherever it is found, regardless of our personal affiliations. The author quotes Acharya Haribhadra, who states that liberation is attainable through the practice of equanimity, rising above attachment and desire, whether one is Shvetambara, Digambara, Buddhist, or from any other tradition. Adherence to one's own religious dogma as the sole path to liberation is a major obstacle to religious harmony. Mahavir's significant contribution is providing a perspective that allows us to see truth without bias, enabling humanity to transcend conflicts arising from religious and ideological differences.
Economic Conflicts: Economic self-interest often underlies wars and conflicts. The current era is driven by wealth and an extreme desire for accumulation and consumption. Selfishness prevents us from understanding the suffering of others. Our acquisitive nature creates artificial scarcity, leading to wealth accumulation for some and deprivation for others, thus dividing society into rich and poor, exploiter and exploited, fostering class struggle. The primary cause of economic disparities, in Mahavir's view, is Parigraha (possessiveness). To resolve economic conflicts, human tendencies towards accumulation and consumption must be curbed. Mahavir proposed vows of Aparigraha (non-possession), Parigraha Pariman (limitation of possessions), and Upabhoga Paribhog Pariman (restraint in the use of consumables). He emphasized complete non-possession for monks and for householders to set limits on their wealth. He also preached restraint of desires and needs, stating that while one has the right to live, one does not have the right to deprive others of comfort and convenience. He advised self-control in areas like food and drink. Jain scriptures detail how householders should determine the quantity of goods they need. By advocating restraint on the acquisitive nature, Lord Mahavir provided a path to resolve humanity's economic conflicts.

In conclusion, Sagarmal Jain asserts that Lord Mahavir's principles of non-attachment in conduct (vritti mein anasakti), Anekantavada in thoughts (vicharon mein anekant), non-violence in behavior (vyavahar mein ahimsa), non-possession in economic life (aarthik jeevan mein aparigraha), and restraint in consumption (upabhog mein sanyam) offer a timeless path to human welfare. The "triveni" (confluence) of Ahimsa, Anekant, and Aparigraha is as potent today as it was 2500 years ago in cleansing humanity's impurities. This practice must be adopted not only individually but also socially to create an egalitarian society, free humanity from its anxieties, and pay true tribute to Lord Mahavir.