Acharya Tulsi
The youthful Indian Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, laid an extra stress on preparing to enter into the twenty-first century. That subject was widely discussed during his time. After he departed, that discussion was on the decline. Coming to think of it, every subject can be looked at from various aspects. There are also various ways of thinking about it. Whether it is a person or an object or some subject, thinking only from one point of view is incomplete. Bhagwan Mahavira, by enunciating the non-absolutist attitude, opened innumerable doors to discover Truth. Everyone may or may not be able to reach every door, but when there are so many doors in front, why should one stop with knocking only at one door?
Some people are desirous of entering the twenty-first century with the help of modern science and new technology. Each one has his own thinking and his own ideas. In a way, science and technology have given lots of conveniences to man. Man's mentality is continuously shaping in the mould of those conveniences. His life is proceeding towards mechanization. Without making any distinction between what is necessary and what is unnecessary, he goes on accepting each and every convenience provided by science. He has no time to consider its merits and demerits. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising at all that in the coming century, he should dream of advanced science and high technology.
It is not our intention to oppose science and technology. Only those whose thinking is one-sided are opposed to them. Only those who are uncompromising in their dogmatic thinking would ridicule science and technology. In this context, if the non-absolutist point of view is adopted, even those who unreservedly accept the special significance of science would not be able to disregard the negative aspect of science. Those very scientists who exaggerate in glorifying the achievements of science, after a certain time, warn the people against their adverse impact. Refrigerator, T.V., A.C., canned food etc. are the means of conveniences. But the scientific opinion is becoming outspoken with regard to their adverse effects. How can one believe in that science which claims to have made life convenient for human beings one day and talks against it the next day?
The scientific gadgets which have pushed man towards the crippled state have also blunted his powers. Several unexpected things are linked with human life. We have to find out who is to be blamed for this. Is science to be blamed or the consumer? No matter how many new things science discovers, if those things are used with restraint, the situation would not be so complex. Today when scientific gadgets are being used very widely, it does not seem likely that they could be abandoned. If those things are useful, any suggestion of giving them up would not even make sense. It is important to understand only one thing and that is the philosophy of anuvrat. If the aim is to shape life according to the anuvrat philosophy, it is possible to find a permanent solution to the problem of unrestrained accumulation and unrestrained consumption. This is the only way which, by bridging the two opposite directions, gives all the help to man to proceed towards his goal.
The youthful Indian Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, laid an extra stress on preparing to enter into the twenty-first century. That subject was widely discussed during his time. After he departed, that discussion was on the decline. Coming to think of it, every subject can be looked at from various aspects. There are also various ways of thinking about it. Whether it is a person or an object or some subject, thinking only from one point of view is incomplete. Bhagwan Mahavira, by enunciating the non-absolutist attitude, opened innumerable doors to discover Truth. Everyone may or may not be able to reach every door, but when there are so many doors in front, why should one stop with knocking only at one door?
Some people are desirous of entering the twenty-first century with the help of modern science and new technology. Each one has his own thinking and his own ideas. In a way, science and technology have given lots of conveniences to man. Man's mentality is continuously shaping in the mould of those conveniences. His life is proceeding towards mechanization. Without making any distinction between what is necessary and what is unnecessary, he goes on accepting each and every convenience provided by science. He has no time to consider its merits and demerits. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising at all that in the coming century, he should dream of advanced science and high technology.
It is not our intention to oppose science and technology. Only those whose thinking is one-sided are opposed to them. Only those who are uncompromising in their dogmatic thinking would ridicule science and technology. In this context, if the non-absolutist point of view is adopted, even those who unreservedly accept the special significance of science would not be able to disregard the negative aspect of science. Those very scientists who exaggerate in glorifying the achievements of science, after a certain time, warn the people against their adverse impact. Refrigerator, T.V., A.C., canned food etc. are the means of conveniences. But the scientific opinion is becoming outspoken with regard to their adverse effects. How can one believe in that science which claims to have made life convenient for human beings one day and talks against it the next day?
The scientific gadgets which have pushed man towards the crippled state have also blunted his powers. Several unexpected things are linked with human life. We have to find out who is to be blamed for this. Is science to be blamed or the consumer? No matter how many new things science discovers, if those things are used with restraint, the situation would not be so complex. Today when scientific gadgets are being used very widely, it does not seem likely that they could be abandoned. If those things are useful, any suggestion of giving them up would not even make sense. It is important to understand only one thing and that is the philosophy of anuvrat. If the aim is to shape life according to the anuvrat philosophy, it is possible to find a permanent solution to the problem of unrestrained accumulation and unrestrained consumption. This is the only way which, by bridging the two opposite directions, gives all the help to man to proceed towards his goal.
