Ahimsa Crisis You Decide

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

Page 93

and the Acharanga sutra reminds us: "All living beings love their life. For them happiness is desirable; unhappiness is not desirable. Nobody likes to be killed. Everybody is desirous of life. Everyone loves his own life.” Finally, Lord Mahavira preached, “Nonviolence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself. For thereby one's own self is saved from various kinds of sins and resultant sufferings and is able to secure one's own freedom.” "Our cup of compassion must become our perpetual mindset. The mindset of compassion makes us sensitive and motivates us not to accept pain, poverty and injustice to others. He who is disinclined to kill the smallest living thing, knows what suffering is, because he who sees and understands the real cause of his own happiness and pain, knows others
too."
“There is nothing so small and subtle as the atom or any element as vast as space. Similarly, there is no quality of soul more subtle than non-violence and no virtue of spirit greater than reverence for life.”
JAIN PRAYERS and THOUGHTS I will end this chapter with some Jain prayers and thoughts for contemplation. Khame mee savve jeeva, savve jeeva khaman tume, mittee me savve bhooye soo, veram majjham na kenayee. Translation: I ask for forgiveness, for any harm I have done, from all living creatures, and I treat them all equally. I have friendship toward all and hatred towards none. I wish no one any harm. Jam jam manen vaddham,' jam jam vaayen bhaasiyam paavam, jam jam kaayen kadam, Tas micchhami dukkhadam.
Translation: Whenever I have thought ill of others, whenever I have uttered bad and violent words, whenever I have physically caused harm, pain and suffering to others, I sincerely repent and ask for their forgiveness.
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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