By Mannan Mehta
YOUNG GENERATION
Expanding the Five Jain Anuvratas for the 21st Century
Mannan Mehta is a junior at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, where he studies international relations and economics. Mannan writes and edits for the Lehigh student newspaper and in his free time enjoys reading, playing piano, exercising, traveling, and watching Formula 1. He is always striving to learn more and meet likeminded individuals who are motivated to better themselves and those around them.
Modern society moves at a breakneck pace. Characterized by a constant influx of information, fast fashion, fleeting social trends and rapidly advancing technology, what exists today is seemingly gone tomorrow. We are bombarded with stimuli from people trying to pull us in every direction—try this new medicine, for it will cure your every ailment. Buy this device and every task will become easier. Sign up for this program and you will become a certifiable genius. Eat these foods and lose weight without any exercise. Human life is ephemeral—one day we are young and curious, the next we are old and wise. In the time we are given, how can we maximize our happiness? In an age of endless comfort, how do we continue challenging ourselves and growing? With large numbers of youths moving away from religion, how are Jain values and principles still relevant? The five Jain vows – Ahimsa, Satya, Achaurya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha - are central tenants of Jainism, providing those who take them a framework for Jain life. I believe all five vows can be expanded beyond their inherent meanings to help today’s youth bring peace and order to the chaos life in the 21st century breeds.
Ahimsa or non-violence is arguably the most fundamental principle we Jains abide by. In addition to practicing it in regard to human beings and animals, however, we must direct non-violence towards our planet. Our culture of mass consumerism has ramifications that stretch far beyond us simply receiving a brown box at our doorstep two days after ordering it. Large amounts of resources are expended to create such goods, expedite delivery and our love for purchasing new things and throwing out old ones fills up our landfills. Greediness drives humans to
seek wealth at any cost, leading to the exploitation of natural resources to the point of scarcity, and ease of travel has allowed us to taint otherwise untouched landscapes. At the same time, however, people have woken up to the fact that new measures are required to keep our planet healthy and habitable.
Conservationists and environmentalists do great work, saving our endangered species and working to make the air healthier and carbon-free. No one needs to give up life in society in favor of hermitage. Movements like #ilivesimply, however, embrace conscious food consumption, responsible shopping, and conscious traveling to ensure our planet is habitable for the generations that will succeed us, and taking a vow to live by these habits can go a long way in achieving such ends.
Satya, or truth, is more important now than ever. With society preoccupied with social media and a 24/7 news cycle, we must remain wary of what is the truth and what is not. It is very easy to see others’ lives on social media and become jealous. Not everything can be accepted at face value to be the truth, and we must learn to discern our own truth from what we read and observe in the press. At the same time, it is very easy for us to lie to ourselves in order to justify our actions or rationalize our present situation. In order to discover your own truth, start by telling yourself the most truthful narrative possible, whether it is pleasant or not. The truth hurts, which is why we find it so easy to lie to ourselves; we are predisposed to take the path of
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