- Title Pages
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Towards a World of Freedom*
- 2 The Right Perception of Self-interest*
- 3 State Must Free the Mind from Fear*
- 4 Fear as the Basis of Social Order*
- 5 Dharma and Jainism
- 6 Human Freedom and Rights
- 7 Truth in Jainism
- 8 The Dharmic Law
- 9 The Dharmic State
- 10 The Caring State
- 11 The Caring State
- 12 Government Governs in Place of Law*
- 13 Unity of Life
- 14 Dharma and Islam—I
- 15 Dharma and Islam—II
- 16 The Supreme Court—I
- 17 The Supreme Court—II
- 18 To Have or To Be—I
- 19 To Have or To Be—II
- 20 Unity of Life
- 21 Personal and Social Health
- 22 The Paradox of Sex—I
- 23 The Paradox of Sex—II
- 24 The Human Condition
- 25 Learning to Live
- 26 The Roots of Violence—I
- 27 The Roots of Violence—II
- 28 The Love of Violence—I
- 29 The Love of Violence—II
- 30 The Power of Mind—I
- 31 The Power of Mind—II
- 32 Power of Perception
- 33 The Karma Conundrum
- 34 Jainism and Relativity
- 35 Beyond Either/Or
- About the Editor
Personal and Social Health
Personal and Social Health
‘Not-grasping’ in Jainism*
- Chapter:
- (p.93) 21 Personal and Social Health
- Source:
- Chaturvedi Badrinath
- Author(s):
Tulsi Badrinath
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
A-parigraha, or ‘not-grasping’, is an idea central to Jainism. When one encircles and overpowers the other, undoubtedly, one is robbed of his/her freedom and dignity. But in doing that the other is also destroyed; even though he/she may physically live. What is generally not seen is the undeniable truth that one limits himself/herself when encircling the other person. In this essay Badrinath says that influenced by Jaina philosophy, when Mahatma Gandhi insisted that there could be no political and economic reconstruction without not-grasping and not-violence as its basis, he was accused of bringing ‘religion’ into politics. Badrinath clarifies that this was untrue. Without self-control as the foundation of social well-being, passions can produce only collective insanity. The essay asserts that seen in this light, a-parigraha and a-himsa are the first active principles of human living.
Keywords: A-parigraha, a-himsa, foundation of social health, Tatvartha-adhigama-sutra, Umasvati, karma
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- Title Pages
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Towards a World of Freedom*
- 2 The Right Perception of Self-interest*
- 3 State Must Free the Mind from Fear*
- 4 Fear as the Basis of Social Order*
- 5 Dharma and Jainism
- 6 Human Freedom and Rights
- 7 Truth in Jainism
- 8 The Dharmic Law
- 9 The Dharmic State
- 10 The Caring State
- 11 The Caring State
- 12 Government Governs in Place of Law*
- 13 Unity of Life
- 14 Dharma and Islam—I
- 15 Dharma and Islam—II
- 16 The Supreme Court—I
- 17 The Supreme Court—II
- 18 To Have or To Be—I
- 19 To Have or To Be—II
- 20 Unity of Life
- 21 Personal and Social Health
- 22 The Paradox of Sex—I
- 23 The Paradox of Sex—II
- 24 The Human Condition
- 25 Learning to Live
- 26 The Roots of Violence—I
- 27 The Roots of Violence—II
- 28 The Love of Violence—I
- 29 The Love of Violence—II
- 30 The Power of Mind—I
- 31 The Power of Mind—II
- 32 Power of Perception
- 33 The Karma Conundrum
- 34 Jainism and Relativity
- 35 Beyond Either/Or
- About the Editor
