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knows no boundaries of geography, language, caste, creed or colour. It embraces the whole world into its domain. Not only the human life, it covers even the animal and plant life into its fold. Such a vast notion of non-violenc is given by Jainism.
Finer naunces of Non-violence: Many people would think that non violence refers to a physical act, where one is prevented from taking up arms against a sea of troubles. True it lays emphasis on the bodily activity and lays taboo on violence, but it does not remain only upto that. Non violence is extended to speech and even thinking. It means that if one thinks in mind that he wishes to hurt somebody, although he neither speaks nor acts, nontheless he has committed an act of violence, which is considered as much sinful as if he has really hurt somebody physically and is therefore liable to as much punishment as if he has committed the final act. So naturally the stress is on a clean and pure mind devoid of all evil thinking. This is an answer to those who consider non violence as a negative quality, although even as a negative quality it has a great importance in the world torn by strife and conflict at every step, where "ignorant armies clash by night". As E.M. Forster says that non-violence is the first step of behaviour. 'How can I love my neighbour who has smashed my window pans by throwing a stone?' he asks. He concludes that the universal love may be a very great virtue in itself, but for all practical purposes, it is tolerance i.e. non violence, which enables us to live in peace in this world. But as has been discussed, non-violence is a positive state of mind, made pure by rooting out passion of attachment and antagonism, which in Jain terminology are known as absence of rag' and 'dwesh'. Only when one is free from the slightest trace of passion can one attain emanicipation called 'Kewalya Jnan'. It may be added here that in the beginning, Jainism was known as 'Nigganth' i.e. without any burden of possession, but later on it was thought that absence of possession only did not make for salvation. So long as the mind was not clean and pure, nobody could hope to attain salvation. So purging of all kinds of passion 'calm of mind' was Jainsim. What a concept of the art of living in the world! All souls are equal: The outward and inward behaviour of non violence is guided by the thought that all living beings are equal inasmuch as they all possess soul. All souls are equal. The apparant differences that we come across into this world are due to the deeds committed by beings
The Art Of Living Called Jainism
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