Essence of Jainism

SR No.: 001537
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 228
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Religion
File Size: 12 MB

Page 115

Non violence
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perfect restraint in the life of renunciation of Jain Gramaņas rather than the life of renunciation in general. The fourth is that it makes an attempt to resolve the questions of mutural opposition that arise in the other branches of the Jain tradition,
Insistence on nine-fold perfect non-violence in practice on one side and justifying the maintenance in life from the viewpoint of the development of restraint and virtues on the other, are the opposed views that gave rise to a discussion on violence and its types such as dravyahimsā, bhāvahimsä etc. Uitimately this led to one decisive doctrine that in its ultimate sense, only infatuation is violence. Worldly dealing devoid of infatuation might seem to be violenceoriented on superficial viewing: actually and in reality it is nonviolent. As far as this final doctrine is concerned, there is no difference of opinion whatsoever among the branches of Jainism such as Svetämbara, Digambara etc. All these branches ay down more or less similar thought-process, technical terminology and arguments. Opposition against Vedic Violence
In the Vedic tradition, violence pertaining to sacrifice, guests, Śrāddha etc, due to varied reasons, is considered to be religious and therefore well-founded. The Sārkhya, Bauddha and Jain tradi. tions are similar and one in their protest against this. Still, as time passed the protest only of Buddhism and Jainism persisted. A deep impression of and reaction to this protest are found in the discussion on non-violence in the Jain literature. Now and again, refutation of Vedic violence is found here. Against this, there is this counter-argument by the followers of the Vedic tradi. tion, “ How is it possible for you, the Jainas, to include as nonviolence, raising o' temples, worship of Gods etc. which are religious activities ? ” Such arguments are also analysed and answered in details in the Jain literature in its discussion on non-violence.
Reasons of Opposition betweea Jainas and Bauddhas
Principally infatuation--a mental blemish is violence, so is annihilation of life born thereof. Both the Jain and Bauddha traditions accept this. In spite of this we find that right from the ancient days, lots of mutual acceptance and rejection in their thinking.