$JES 203 First Step of Jainism Level 2 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 96

COMPASSION
Feeling of compassion (Karunä) is what we should feel upon witnessing the miseries of all living beings.
5.5 Compassion
When we see animals and people suffering from pain and misery we should try to help them in whatever way we can.
We can help the suffering of others in many different ways. We should give food to those who are hungry, money for their basic necessities, heal their mental anguish with soft calming words, and give medicine to help their physical suffering.
We can help others by being compassionate. The greatest form of compassion (Karunä) reveals itself when one is willing to help all living beings irrespective of who they are and without any reservation.
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Jain Ecation lemnational
Did you know? Compassion is respect for
all forms of
life including
animals, birds,
insects and
nature
If we lack compassion we indulge in various acts that lead to bad karma.
When these bad Karma mature we suffer from mental, physical and emotional ailments: diseases, insults and cruelty.
The degree of compassion depends upon a person's progress on the path of spiritual development. We have several incidences where great people have sacrificed the most valued things in their lives to alleviate the suffering and pain of the smallest living beings.
There is an incident from the life of Swämi Dayanand Saraswati. One day he was walking from Banäras to Dädäpur. It was a rainy day and the roads were flooded. One bullock-cart loaded with grass was stuck in the mud. With every effort made to pull the cart out of the mud it was sinking deeper and deeper.
Swämi's heart filled with compassion when he saw the suffering of the bulls. He took hold of the cart, freed the bulls, and pulled the cart out of the mud.
Compassion is to respect all forms of life including animals, birds, insects and nature. Respect and regard for all forms of life is possible only if we truly believe that all life forms are equal.
THE FIRST STEP OF JAINISM