Ahimsa and Jainism

Author(s): Vijayvallabhsuri
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

Page 27

[ 21 ]
Those which have only the sense of touch include the vegetable kingdom too. The classification enables one to recognise life in its proper perspective and to strive one's best to abstain from injury to it.
As long as man lives as a member of society, besides what he owes to himself for his spiritual betterment, he owes a good deal to the society in which he has to live: but, if he relinquishes the world and leads the life of an ascetic, his ties with society and his responsibilities towards it are considerably reduced. In Jainism, the duties of a householder are essentially those of a monk and, while duly carrying out his household duties, he can, if he chooses, rise steadily to the status of a monk. Ahimsa, obviously, as practised by a householder, assumes a different aspect from that of a monk, though both aspects are complementary and mutually consonant; in its practice great stress is laid on thoughtfulness and absence of negligence.
The doctrine of Ahimsa is systematically explained in Jainism; for a true Jain or, as a matter of fact, for any one who wants to follow it, it is not merely a matter of profession but of constant practice. Himsą is of three kinds: physical, verbal and mental. Physical violence includes killing, wounding and causing bodily pain; violence