Acharya Mahaprajna
The second parameter of the economic policy is that it does not give encouragement to violence and killings. Violence is interlinked with life. Ancient scholars have said:
Jeeven Jeevasya Jeevanam
Life is the basic element of any living being. However, this is only a partial truth. It is not right to take it as total reality, it will not be right. There is perhaps no dispute about the fact that for living violence is also necessary. Violence cannot be given up entirely. That is why Mahavira added an adjective. Unnecessary violence should not take place; aggressive violence should not take place. Economic policy should be so formulated that it does not encourage unnecessary aggressive violence. Let alone violence against man, there should not be unnecessary violence even against water; that is, it should also not be wasted. There should, of course, be no violence even against plant life. Even the smallest of the small creatures should not be killed unnecessarily. This is an essential desideratum.
In today's thinking, there is a basic misgiving. Ved Vyas had written in Mahabharata that nobody is superior to man. Mahavira also said that. Nonetheless, while it is right to say that nobody is superior to man, it can also be said that nobody is more irrational than man. When we synthesize the two elements, the whole truth will be found. The premise that nobody is superior to man implied that, in terms of development, nobody is superior to man. We have analysed this postulate in the context of Preksha dhyan. Man's blood circulation and organ systems are so highly developed, his brain power is so active, and consciousness and wisdom are so much awakened that there is no other living being equal to him. Even this is only a partial truth. It is perhaps on the basis of this premise that it has been presumed that man can do each and everything. He may kill an animal or a bird. For the purpose of eating meat, he is mercilessly killing millions of animals and birds. The question is - is he still the superior creature when he does so? The misuse of this concept of superiority has, in fact, misled him so much that man has become uncontrollable. In the process, he has become a creature that he never was before.
It appears that a stage has arrived when the killing of the dumb animals is recoiling upon him. Man is steadily becoming more and more unhealthy from both points of view - physical and mental. Even after acquiring so much of resources, he has been feeling devoid of adequate defences and is becoming more and more miserable.
