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Society in Jaina Philosophy and Literature
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for others at all - this is the essence of preaching of
Jina. 1952
This is echoed in Sanskrit literature also:
“A person should not behave with others adversely, which is meant adverse for himself.953
As we expect good conduct, graceful and respectful behavior from others, so should be our behaviour with others, protecting their self-esteem and dignity. What we do not like from others, we should not behave in that manner. This is an essential principle of social behaviour given in Jaina literature. It is also echoed in Ācārāngacūrņi in some different words:**
“As I like pleasure and happiness, others also like these and as I dislike grief and sorrow, others also do not like them."
This thinking can protect not only human rights, but can save the rights of every being of the world.
At present, there are more than fourteen thousand Jaina sādhus and sādhvīs in India. The Daśavaikālikasūtra of the Svetāmbara sect instructs that a sādhu should not be a burden on the society. His conduct of taking food from the houses of laypersons is compared with a black bee that takes nectar of flowers without torturing them. Like that an ascetic monk also
52 jam icchasi appaņatto, jam ca na icchasi appaņatto;
tam iccha parassa vi, ettiyagam jiņasāsaņam. * ātmanaḥ pratikūlāni pareșām na samācaret (a renowned verse). ** AC 1.1.6: jahā me itthāṇitthe suhāsuhe tahā savvajīvānam. 35 Babulal Jain (2010: 116).
