Saturday, May 29, 2010

Are Jains Really Richer?

-Mahavir Sanglikar



The true richness of any community does not depend on its economical progress, financial richness or GDP of that community, but it is measured using various parameters. The richness of any community is in how many intellectuals, scientists, thinkers, philosophers, mathematicians, researchers, artists, authors, actors, music composers, singers, sportspersons, social reformers, social activists, educationalists, professors etc. it has given. If any community, linguistic group or religious group has failed to give such a variety of people, it is just a shameful thing for it.

If any community is engaged largely in unproductive business like trading, money lending, share broking, commission agency, Satta Bazar, Lottery etc, it is also a shameful thing. Members of such community are just parasites living on mercy of others. Such community has no right to call themselves as superiors to others, because they are not. They never can be.

If you remember any great Jain personality from ancient and medieval or even modern history of India, you will find that he was not engaged in money matters! Money oriented people cannot produce great personalities, as they are unproductive.

If Jains wish that Jain community should become superior, they should work in every field of life. Let the world see Olympians, Oscar awards and Nobel Prize winners, Einsteins, Abdul Kalams, Mother Teresas, Abdul Hameeds etc. from Jain community. It is not an impossible thing, as Jain community has given great persons in past. Even today, we can do it. The first step towards it is to convert us to knowledge orientation from money orientation.

There are millions of non-merchant Jains all over India and when compared to Merchant Jains, they are far ahead in various fields. Even in the merchant Jain communities the people who have thrown away merchantship, have made a great contribution to the nation and mankind.

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for your comments on the
    Jain community.But Jains are working in diiffrent fielfd of life.The Jain community is not only a bussiness community.&5% Jain are belong to medicar class near about only 15% are rich categary or medium class richest .Jain are also found poor section.So it is misunderstanding that whole Jain commu8nity is rich

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  2. Though Jain is a rich community, even though they are not ready to help any of the Jain. 85% strong Jain cant even help 15% Jain who need help. They only does any charity only for there name and fame. Few community are arising very fast and they behavior of will lead the Jain to a very miserable condition in coming few years. So just think what is the future of the Jain community.

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  3. dear it is true that a lot of people of Jain communty belong to the business-class..but there are plenty in other fields too..i know many who are serving as commissioners, SPs, IASs, teachers or professors, doctors and a few as sports person too!!
    but i dont think that other businessmen are living on the mercy of others!..everybody does business on demands of others! that's the way of business!

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  4. Hello. I am an American-born woman (my father was Episcopal, my mother Baptist but both rebelled against the religions of their youth and raised me without religion -- which, given the options, I am glad of) and would like to learn more about Jainism. Do any Americans become Jain? Would an Indian Jain community welcome me? Is there anywhere I can learn about Jain principles and way of life? Since I have not been raised in this religion I feel I need to learn more before figuring out if it is the right path for me. But the belief system is very close to what I intuitively feel to be true.

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  5. To Stefani- You can get all the information here.. www.jainworld.com.... Yes you can become a jain... There are many jain temples in america... You can decide if this path is good for you or not.. but i think it is...

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  6. to stefani
    you can become a jain
    to become a jain you just need to follow 4 principle satya (truthfullness), ahinsa(non-violense) , tyaag(sacrifice) , karuna (mercy)
    you can even get more details on www.jainelibrary.com or you can mail me ankitinfo@rediffmail.com

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  7. Thank you I just saw your replies. I forgot I was here before. And now I have found my way back. I think there is a reason.

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