________________
with us are treated as wrong. Earlier dogmatism was based on ignorance; now it is caused by certitude arising out of blind rationalism. What is not being realized is that knowledge is relative. The faculties that we possess are limited. Even as compared to small creatures, our senses are much less developed. For example, dog may have a far better sense of smell and an eagle may have far more developed eye sight. Even in comparison with such creatures, when our senses are so poor, how can we claim absolute knowledge?
Jainism has its philosophy of Syadvad. It is a seven-fold logic, which replaces certitude with relativity in thinking. According to this principle, one may be right or one may be wrong. Even the opponent may be right. In this, there is no place for dogmatism or fanaticism. This is one of the great contributions of Jainism to world thought. Its application to personal conduct could make the world a safe place. The present ideological conflicts that we witness today, would not be as intense as they are now if this principle could permeate the minds of adversaries.
It is also worth mentioning here that mistakenly the negative aspect of Ahimsa has been overemphasized at the expense of its positive form. While non-killing is certainly essential, Ahimsa in its positive form-means reverence for life, which in turn calls for compassion and service. Jainism forbids the killing as well as hurting of all living things small or big. The problem is not one of scale of Ahimsa but of quantity and scope. Killing or hurting is prohibited at all levels (except where circumstantially inevitable). It seems that the indirect cause of this misunderstanding is the excessive stress given on the negative quality of the concept of Ahimsa. The need, therefore, is to reinforce this positive and compassionate aspect of Ahimsa leading to active altruism.
It needs to be added that any religion or doctrine that does not pay adequate attention to the conduct of its followers often degenerates. Jainism, without any disrespect to any other religion, highlights the need for comprehensive combination of knowledge,
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner * (ii)
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
