________________
existing, living and sentinent 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.
In other words, non-violence is the eternal and pure form of religion. In Jainism non-violence is the pivot on which its whole ethics revolves. In other words, violence represents all the vices and non-violence represents all the virtues.
Non-violence is not a single virtue, but it is a group of virtues. In the Prasnavyakarana-sutra the term non-violence is equated with sixty virtuous qualities, namely peace, harmony, welfare, trust, fearlessness, etc. Thus non-violence is a wider term which comprehends all the good qualities and virtues.
The concept of non-violence and the regard for life is accepted by almost all the religions of the world. But none of the religions observes it so minutely as Jainism. Jainism prohibits not only killing of human beings and animals but also killing of the vegetable life. To hurt the plants is also an act of violence or Himsa. Its basic principle is that the life, in whatever form it may be, should be respected. We have no right to take another's life, because everyone wants to live as we do. The Dasavalkalika mentions that every one wants to live and not to die, for this simple reason, Nigganthas prohibit violence. It can be said that the Jaina concept of non-violence is not practical, even then we cannot challenge its relevance for human society. Though Jainism
- 20 -
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
