Peace Religious Harmony and Solution of World Problems from Jaina Prespective

SR No.: 001657
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 70
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Philosophy, & Social
File Size: 4 MB

Page 58

The Concept of Non-violence in Jainism
PROE SAGARMAL JAIN
The concept of non-violence has been preached by almost all the religions of the world. All the thinkers of humanity and the founders of religious orders universally accepted it as a core principle of human conduct and cardinal religious virtue. In Indian religions in general and Jainism in particular non-violence is considered as a supreme moral virtue (Ahimsa paramo dharmah).
In Ācārānga, a canonical Jaina Textof 4th cent. B.C.,Lord Mahāvira declares that "All the worthy men of the past, the present and the future say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus, that all the breathing, existing, living and sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented. This is the pure, eternal and unchangeable law or the tenet of religion." 'Bhaktaparijñā'also mentions the superiority of non-violence over all other virtues. It says "just as in the world there is nothing higher than mountain Meru and nothing extended than the sky, so also in the world) there is nothing excellent and universal
an the virtue of non-violence is considered as a shelter to all the living beings. In it Ahimsais equated with sixty virtuous qualities such as peace, harmony, welfare, trust, fearlessness etc. For Jainas non-violence is a wider term comprehending all the virtues. It is not a single virtue but a group of virtues. Ācāryā Amrtacandra in his famous work Purūşarthasiddhupāya maintains that "all moral practices such as truthfulness etc. are included in Ahimsā (non-violence), similarly all the vices are comprehended in Hiṁsā(violence) because virtues do not vitiate the real nature of self while vices do vitiate. Thus, in Jainism non-violence represents all the virtues and violence all the vices.
The same view is also propounded in the famous Hindu work Mahābhārata. It says 'As the foot-prints of all smaller animals are