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fall within the scope of this work. We start from the point where visible physical activities start. The only reference we refer to at these subtler levels is that life, as we see, starts with the interaction of life force (Chetan/Soul/Jiva/Atma) and physical force (matter particles even subtler than the sub-atomic particles, the Karmic particles). The mono-cellular living organisms, which are the tiniest outcome of this interaction, are much grosser in comparison.
The first interaction between soul and matter, which gives birth to the living organism also gives birth to the desire to live. The desire to live evolves into attachment towards the life sustaining factors and detestation towards the life curbing factors. This is the point where first seeds of violence are sown. It progresses with the evolution of the organism to higher levels. The attachment and detestation gradually grow into passions and cause the conscious violence.
Passions, Kashayas, are the factors that malign the soul and the feelings. Malignant feelings are the breeding grounds of violent thoughts, which ultimately are translated into action. The Kashayas are of four types: Krodh (anger), Maan (conceit), Maaya (illusion) and Lobh (greed).
Any violent thought created by each of these passions has three specific stages: conceptive, preparative and operative. Each of these stages has three medias of expression: thought, speech ard action. Each of these three medias has three agencies for execution: through self, through order to others and through consent or support of others. Combined together these become 108 sub-classifications of violence and cover almost every possible type of violence that can be committed
AHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE
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