Acharya Mahaprajna
Respected Gurudev was once sitting in the courtyard of Jain Vishwa Bharti. The Vice-Chancellor of Ajmer University, Dr. Ahuja, who was herself an economist, arrived there. In the course of discussion, she was told that we wanted economics of non-violence. She wondered, however, "which economics would that be". Economics is born out of violence. Wherefrom will it derive non-violence?
Let us then understand that the Economics, which is limited to eradicating poverty, is not good for us. For us that Economics is valuable which, while eradicating poverty, does not increase violence. A synthesis of material prosperity and promotion of non-violence is essential today. This kind of synthesis is present in ample measure in the concept of the vrati (dedicated) society propounded by Mahavira. It is only through the harmonization of such principles that the needed synthesis can be achieved.
