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POSITIVE NON-VIOLENCE Is DHARMA
Mercy, charity, kindness, compassion, service, friend-ship, affection, saving life, etc., are various expressions of positive nonviolence. Being causes of karmic stoppage, reduction and destruction, these are various forms of dharma. It is not proper to consider them as adharma or irreligious. In the Jaina literature the characteristics of dharma or right faith have been mentioned in the following aphorisms -
So dhammo jattha dayā | - Vrtti on Niyamasāra, 6. That is - Where there is mercy, there is dharma. Dhammo dayā visuddho 1 - Bodhapāhuda (Kundakunda), 25. That is - What has been purified by mercy is dharma. Dānam sīlaṁ ca tavo bhāvo, evaṁ cauvviho dhammo Savvajiņehim bhaņio, tahā duhā suacaritehim |||
- Saptatisthānaprakaraņa, verse 96. That is – All Lords Jina have said that dharma is four-fold - by way of charity, righteousness, penance and (right) volition. Again the dharma has been categorised in two ways as knowledge (Śruta) based dharma and conduct (Caritra) based dharma.
Karuņāe vatthusahāvo khamādibhāvo va dasavihodhammo I Rayaņattayam ca dhammo, jīvaņas rakkhaṇam dhammo Il
- Kārtikeyānuprekṣā, 478.
Positive Non-Violence
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