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Jainism and World Peace
ṇa pariyāveyavva, na uddaveyavva esa dhamme suddhe niyiye sasaye samicca loye niuņṇehim paveyiye."
"The Arhatas and Bhagavatas of the past, present and future all say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus. "All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented nor driven away."
- Acārāngasūtra 1/4/11.
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This is the pure, unchangeable, eternal law, which the clever ones, who understand the world, have declared above.
The question is asked to the propagators of violence:
patteyam pucchissamo-ham bho! paväuyā! kim bhe! sayam dukkham uyahu asāyam; samiyā padivanne yävievem būyā savvesiṁ sattāṇaṁ asāyaṁ! aparinivvāṇaṁ mahabbhayaṁ dukkham tti!
-- Acäränga, 1/4/2.
"Ye Professor, is pain pleasant to you, or unpleasant?" and on right reply it is clear that - "For all sorts of living beings pain is unpleasant, disagreeable and greatly feared so why should one kill others?"
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In this way killing of living-beings of all types was denounced and the doctrine of non-violence was accepted as the principle of good life.
It is quite evident from the cultural history of India, that maximum value has been attached to the doctrine of Ahimsā. Ācārya Subhacandra says this in the foollowing words"
śrūyate sarvaśāstreṣu sarveṣu samayeṣu ca/
ahimsa lakṣaṇo dharmaḥ tadviparyayasśa pātakam //
Jain Education International
tapa-śruta-yama-jñāna-dhyāna dānādi karmaṇām/ satya sila vratādinām ahimsa Janani mātā //
i.e. "in all kinds of scriptures Ahimsa is considered as the distinctive mark of religion and its contrary as sin and Ahimsa is regarded as the 'mother' of all good virtues, like austerities, learning, religious duty knowledge, meditation, charity and vows of truth, good conduct etc.,"
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