Ahimsa the Science of Peace

Author(s): Surendra Bothra
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 51

timately every act as well as thought is judged by its effect on none else but the self. The creation of evil thought damages the soul. The physical actions only attract the Karmic particles in a continuous flow. The fusion of these particles with the soul is caused by the force of feelings, attitudes or thoughts, which have been termed as Kashayas or passions. This fusion is termed as Bandh or bondage and is the cause of continued rebirth.
Saving one self from this bondage is the central theme of the path of Ahimsa. All the other rules, vows, methods etc. are corollaries, offshoots or assisting factors.
Truly following Ahimsa conduct means saving one's soul from damage or tarnishing. Soul is formless and so its activities, conditions, states etc. are not directly visible or conceivable to the common man through his physical senses, It has to be understood by the common man with the help of suitable examples and similes from the physical world. Similarly its activity also can be understood and directed with the help of physical world through intellectual activities. That appears to be the reason that harm to other beings becomes the focal point around which the whole concept of Ahimsa revolves. By not harming others one is, in fact, trying not to harm his own soul.
Once a person transcends to the level of direct perception of soul, the process is reversed. By not allowing any harm to come to his own soul he automatically avoids harming others. The confusion between protecting the self and protecting others starts when the rules applicable for those at the higher level are forced upon those at lower levels.
The Jain thinkers have gone into meticulous details to analyze human psychology and behaviour in order to elaboAHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE 8 For Private & Personal Use Only