Acharya Mahaprajna
Famous historian Toynbee has made a very wise statement: ‘Bread alone or faith alone is not sufficient.' Man cannot live by bread alone: nor can he live only by faith. The present world tries to live by bread and do away with faith. If faith becomes the basis, the problem of bread will remain.
There is the need for a system, which provides bread as well as faith. It will be a harmonized system. In the guidelines, which Mahavira developed, and the economic theory that he projected, neither bread nor faith has been rejected. There is a mix of both bread as well as faith.
Mahavira derived that we fully understand that part of the nature of man, which reflects dedication to religion and the desire for emancipation. Do not knowingly play hide and seek with it. Do not disregard it at all. Give importance to character as well. When character is analysed and when the desire to become unbounded arises, a concept which emerges is that of self-control. Limit material comforts, do not allow them to become limitless. Houses and clothes are necessary for the body, but do not expand the wants to an extent that these become harmful.
