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pursued by religious persons. They lay so much emphasis on this belief of theirs that they consider those that do not fall in line with them as false-visioned, and do not consider them as fit to attain spiritual emancipation and liberation. According to them, the very reason for the souls' continued worldly transmigration and lack of liberation is nothing but the false belief that meritorious acts are not deplorable and fit to be abandoned. "If the living beings had considered these meritorious activities of service, kindness, compassion, co-operation, helping, etc., also as deplorable, in their right perspective, and abandoned them, they would have been liberated long-long ago”, they say. Some of them even go to the extent that these activities result in violence towards living beings of the one-sensed type, etc and these are, therefore, sinful and irreligious. To consider irreligious acts as religious is the false viewpoint. The main arguments that are advanced in order to prove the activities like service, kindness, compassion, co-operation, helping, etc that constitute positive non-violence as sinful, irreligious and obstructive in the process of liberation are as follows: - 1. Meritorious activities like service, kindness, compassion, co
operation, helping, etc., are mundane activities and are, therefore, karma bonding and fit to be abandoned. Meritorious activities are auspicious in nature. Auspicious activities result in influx and bondage of meritorious karma. Such karmic bondages hinder liberation. Auspicious activities like service, kindness, compassion, cooperation, helping, etc., are in the form of punya (merit). Merit is not dharma (religious duty). There is no liberation without dharma. There is violence towards living beings in pursuing the meritorious activities like service, kindness, compassion, co
operation, helping, etc. Violence is sin. Sin is fit to be abandoned. 5. The creature that is saved due to Meritorious activities like service,
kindness, compassion, co-operation, helping, etc., may be beset
XLVIII
Positive Non-Violence
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