Millennium World Peace Summit

Towards The World Movement For Non-Violence

By Ms. Indu Jain's Speech

A lotus flower offering from India to my honored friends and to Ted Turner, Bawa Jain, B. K. Modi and to all the creators of this historical event. All of us are grateful. They have made us feel full. To honour Ted Turner let us from today name him Trend Turner.

It is very significant that the Peace Summit is coinciding with the 26 Hundredth year of our Lord Mahaveer's birth celebrations. He was the greatest exponent of non-violence.

Ahimsa, the UN has revitalized the force which was ignited centuries ago by Mahaveer. Let me start with a small episode.

Lord Mahaveer was deep in meditation. From his closed eyes emanated extraordinary peace an serenity. A bird flew and sat close to him. When he opened his eyes, the bird got frightened and flew away. Lord Mahaveer thought, "Violence is inherent in the very opening of human eyes". Ahimsa is the absence of violence and fear, and the presence of an all embracing love for humanity.

Non-violence is reaching out, transcending cast, creed, religion, and even species. It is an independent state of consciousness. Our physical, emotional and intellectual states of being limit and confine us; they degrade us and make us unhappy. The absence of fetters in ahimsa.

Removing ignorance is the first step towards building a world movement for non-violence. True consists of self-understanding. Non-violence is the highest form of knowledge, since it harmonizes relationships. It gives freedom from the endless drama of opposites: pleasure-pain, freedom-bondage etc.

It is freedom from past, from all that which suffocates, and distresses. It is freedom from memory itself - Then I can be sensitive to other people and their pain. But what is the best method? The Jain philosophy tells us that there are no absolute theories or formulas that can describe reality in absolute terms. Simply put, my way is not the final one, my version is not the only version. There are many ways and paths to reach the truth. Each in its own right is legitimate. Non violence is a time-less principle, and violence is alien to life.

One who believes in Gandhian non-violence resists and counters violence by being uninfluenced. Uninfluenced within and vibrantly active without. Non-violence is and expansive, all embracing love and concern for all living and non-living beings.

Who would understand the language of love and concern better than the youth of today? They have shown tremendous initiative in taking up the cause of environmental protection, furthering peace and rising above the narrow confines of nationality.

Today's youth is a global citizen. They understand the universal language of love. I salute the youth of today. I salute non-violence. Let us pledge together to nurture this quality of in youthful minds from all walks of life. I believe in this Art of Living and dedicate myself to furthering it. As of today this Art of Living and dedicate myself to furthering it. As of today this Art of living has already reached 92 countries - you are all welcome to join this youthful movement.

Lastly one very important point which needs your blessings for the fullest flowering of this great efforts of the UN. How do we address our own countries? Motherland. I would like to invoke the all-pervading feminine power - the very embodiment of non-violence to be here with us. "Give Woman a chance" and Non-Violence will effortlessly be the religion of the new millennium.

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Mail to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
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