Dr. Ashok Bapna
Muni Mahendra Kumarji addressing the conference..
Prof. Muni Mahendra Kumar
Muni Mahendra Kumar ji, Honoraray Professor of Jain Vishwa Bharati University, Ladnun and an eminent disciple of Acharya Mahapragya ji expressed his views on the so-called strange and rare combination of Economics and Non-violence, as it may seem to some people. He referred to it as a strange combination as there is a general notion that non-violence concerns religion and spirituality and economics is a science of worldly affairs, a mundane and secular activity and how the two can combine. He opined that problems of apprehension, worldwide conflicts, and racial conflicts are bound to aggravate if we have a lopsided growth of economic ideas, devoid of the aforesaid combination. We need to make fundamental reformation in our concept of economics, by giving it the solid foundation of non-violence. Non-violence is not yet understood in its full significance. It's very easy to understand that the dispositions and mentalities which involve violence, cruelty, exploitation not only disturb the peace of mind, but also the entire social and national fabric. So, a thought about the harmonious balance of peace and non-violence is inevitable.
Acharya Mahapragyaji is not a theoretical philosopher. He believes in the application of philosophy in day-to-day life, and worldly affairs. He is an experimenter in spiritual practices, non-violence, moral principles and during his experimentation he found that there is a combination between spiritual and moral doctrine and modern scientific concepts about psychology, physiology and biochemistry. He felt ardently about implementation of the non-violent regime by looking for practical exercises through which we can inculcate love, compassion and altruism and not merely sermonizing the principles. Therefore, the new concept of world order that he proposed has a strong theoretical base along with an elaboration on the methods through which all these values can be implanted in the hearts of men.
Muni Mahendra talked of a conference of 500 medical practitioners held in Delhi a day before, in which Acharya Mahapragyaji enlightened the doctors with his views that a human being has two hearts - the one which pumps blood into our body and the other located in the hypothalamus, in the limbic system, that controls our emotional system. Disorder of the latter generates all conflicts and violence. All efforts should be focused on changing and controlling the hypothalamus through meditation and exercise of spiritual practices. This, indeed, is the scientific mechanism of controlling violence.
The conference, he opined was an innovative experiment in an environment abounding in economic disparity, pollution and the deliberations would certainly evolve a solution that is palatable, viable and a boon for mankind.