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THE LAW OF NON-VIOLENCE AS ENUNCIATED IN JAINISM
Jainism was the pioneer in preaching the sublime principle of Ahiṁsā to mankind. Jain teachers were the first and foremost in the history of human thought to propound the law of Ahimsā. Ahimsā is the doctrine of non-violence, non-injury or non-killing. It is enjoined repeatedly in Jain literature and the uniqueness of Jainism lies in the urgency with which it extended the practice of Ahiṁsā to all forms of life. Jainism was the first among the world religions which proclaimed Ahimsā as the main criterion of moral life. The importance of Ahiṁsā is reflected in its being the initial one of the five great vows prescribed in Jainism. The first vow runs like this:
I renounce all killing of living beings, whether subtle or gross, whether movable or immovable. Neither shall I myself kill living beings, nor cause others to do it, nor consent to it.
To aid the devotee to fulfil the vow of Ahimsā he should meditate on five things-carefulness of speech, carefulness of mind, care in walking, care in lifting and laying down things and thoroughly seeing to one's
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