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Ahimsa Dharma (The Religion of Non-Violence)
Non-violence
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A positive concept
Etymologically the word Ahimsa means absence of Himsa. But this view of Ahimsa is incomplete. Ahimsa is to be adopted in its entirety with its positive approach also. Abstention from all kinds of injury to anyone is the negative approach of Ahimsa which can stop wars, agitations and social conflicts and can restore peace and harmony in the world. But peace is not mere absence of war, it is the development of strong fellow feeling and fraternal appreciation of others' ideas and values, which can be achieved by adopting Ahimsa in its positive sense also.
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In today's world of chaos and anarchy where the very survival of humanity is at stake, the only source of survival and happiness is adherence to Ahimsa as a way of life because in the survival of others lies the survival of oneself. The great lesson of modern science is that today the world is a closely inter-related and inter-dependent system. Therfore, the happiness of an individual can only be ensured by working for the happiness of others.
Lord Mahāvira
the Apostle of Non-Violence
Though the concept of Ahimsa is preached by almost all the prophets of the world, the way Bhagavana Mahavira looked at it was astonishingly different. He himself was an incarnation of Ahimsa and his each act was inspired by it. He discovered the indispensability of following Ahimsā in every walk of life as an essential feature for sustaining the society. According to him if we commit Himsä even in the smallest activities of life, our minds are vitiated by it. So we should train our minds to cultivate Ahimsa and for this we should even treat inanimate objects with a certain amount of consideration, if not compassion as if they were endowed with a kind of life or feeling. Thus, for example, we would much rather pick up a thing it may be a piece of waste paper or a clod of earth-with our hands rather than give it an unceremonious kick. According to Bhagavana Mahavira, it is indeed the internal state of mankind which is reflected in one's personality. Once Ahimsa is assimilated, it manifests itself in our treatment of fellow human beings, animal kingdom and even inanimate objects.
Jain Education International
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Bhagavana Mahāvīra was filled with immense love, compassion and kindnesss for every living being of the world. He could not even think
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| SR No. | 014010 |
| Book Title | Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey |
| Publisher | Parshwanath Vidyapith |
| Publication Year | 1998 |
| Total Pages | 402 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Seminar & Articles |
| File Size | 23 MB |