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Indian Ethnicity and Religious Heritage
as one integrated cosmic mechanism wherein the life of even a microscopic atom has a recognized role to play. Therefore, every sentient being, however small it may be, has aright to exist, to develop and attain the highest stage of salvation that the great Tirthankaras have achieved. In other words, the potentiality for the achievement of Siddhahood in the Jiva of a blade of grass is the same as in the Jiva of Lord Mahavir himself. Thus so far as potentiality to achieve the last step in the ladder of liberty is the same for every jiva, it means that one soul is equal to all souls.
It is for this reason that Mahavir stated, "One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water and vegetation disregards his own existence." When you kill others, you kill yourself as you are as much part and parcel of the universal scheme as those killed by you. Therefore, a true Jain would never derive devilish delight in destroying innocent lives. The German philosopher Nietzsche protested against such violence when he said, "Humans are the most inhuman of all animals."
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