Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

Author(s): Sulekh C Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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shelter, all animals crowded around a lake, leaving no room for him to maneuver. After a while, the elephant raised one leg to scratch himself, and a small hare/rabbit swiftly occupied this tiny vacancy. Feeling deep compassion for the small animal, the elephant kept his leg raised for more than three days until the fire died out and the hare/rabbit departed. By then, his leg had gone numb; he toppled over, unable to set his foot down and walk again. Maintaining purity of mind until he died, the elephant severed all ties with his animal destinies. He was later reborn as Prince Megha, son of King Srenika of Magadha, and became an eminent Jain monk under Lord Mahavira. This is the essence of ahimsa in Jaina philosophy—it is compassion, empathy, a profound wisdom that a common Atman pulsates in all beings, making each equally worthy of life, and denying the human-made hierarchy that sets a human or more powerful mammal above a creature that it has the power to kill. Ahimsa is not a passive or mechanical act of merely refraining from an act of violence; it is a proactive affirmation of divinity in all creation. According to Jainism, true religion is that which sustains all species of life and helps to maintain harmonious relationship among them. The entirety of Jain ethics tends towards translating the principle of ahimsa into practice. For Jains, their identity and trademark is ahimsa and that is what differentiates them from non-Jains.
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES A JAIN FROM A NONJAIN? The truth of the matter is that Jains don't have a monopoly in having a rich history and culture, and in serving the public good. Many other religions and religious communities have similar attributes and contributions. Jains tend to be affluent, but so are many other members of communities of faith. Jain sadhus lead an austere way of life, but there are also similar ascetics in many other faith traditions.
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An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide