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-7113 $ 687] Chapter Seven
[271 Contemplation of the nature of the body leads to detachment from attachment to objects. Therefore, one should contemplate the nature of the world and the body.
8686. Here the questioner says, "You have said that the vow is to abstain from violence, etc., but we do not know what specific actions constitute violence, etc." To this, it is said: It is impossible to explain all of them at once, but their characteristics can be explained in sequence. Therefore, to explain the nature of what was mentioned at the beginning, the following sutra is said:
Violence is the killing of living beings due to heedlessness. ||13||
8687. Heedlessness is the state of being accompanied by passions, and the result of the soul being in that state is called heedless. The action of the heedless is called heedless action. Therefore, violence is defined as the separation, as far as possible, of the ten vital breaths, including the senses, due to heedless action. This is the cause of suffering for living beings, and therefore the cause of unrighteousness. The qualifier "due to heedless action" is used to indicate that only the separation of vital breaths does not constitute unrighteousness. It is also said:
"Even if this being separates another from its vital breaths, it is not considered violence." And it is also said:
"If a small creature is crushed by the foot of a sage who is engaged in walking, and dies as a result, there is no mention of even a small amount of bondage due to that cause in the scriptures. Because, just as fainting is considered to be a form of attachment from a spiritual perspective, here too, the result of passions, etc., is considered to be violence."
Doubt: Even if the vital breaths are not destroyed, is violence still considered to be committed merely due to heedless action? It is also said:
1. Bhagavata Mu., Ta., Na. 2. Siddha. Dva. 3,16. 3. Pravachana. Kshe. 3,16. 4. Pravachana. Kshe. 3,171.