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 117

Non violence
93
even enbances, virtue Nir jarā). According to this line of thinking, if a Sadhu, even after adopting perfect non-violence, takes recourse to various activities considered to be violence, for the further nourishment of his ascetic life, he without doubt, progresses a step further in the enrichment of his self-control. This is precisely determined non-violence--Niscaya Ahimsa--according to the Jain terminology. The Sadhus who were totally against keeping and using clotbes, began to criticise, in the name of violence, those who were making use of facilities like clothes etc. It was here that the ascetics who justified the use of clothes etc. took recourse to this NiscayaAhimsa and stated that if one uses clottes etc., within proper limits, like the body, simply for supporting and maintaining their selfcontrol, this is no obstruction against non-violence. This type of discussion on part of the Jain Sanghas, born of the difference in conduct, has considerably enriched the discussion on non-violence. This is clearly visible in the Oghaniryuk ti--an Āgama text etc.
It seems that now and again, this discussion on non-violence has become just dry argumentation. One individual raises this question. “If you want to use clothes, then why not use untorn whole cloth? This is because when a cloth is tron, microscopically small atoms will fly out and hurt life. The reply to this is given in the same manner. If microscopically small atoms fy out when we tear a piece of cloth and these are hurtful to lives, when you use speech to prevent us from hurting lives, do you not violate life? Whatever it is, the perfect form of non-violence acceptable to Jain tradition is found in the clearcut statements of Jinabhadragani. He states that a spot may be full of life or without life; some one is found to be violating life and some not; violence or non-violence is not to be decided upon just on this. Real violence lies in infatuation-lack of self-control, irrespective of the fact whether life is violated thereby or not. In the same way, if absence of infatuation and self-control are well protected, even if we see life being violated, it is just non-violence.