Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

Author(s): Padamchand Shastri, N L Jain
Publisher: Veer Seva Mandir Trust

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(i) Association with carelessness or passions and (ii) Injury to vitalities.
This indicates that when these two conditions are met, there is violence.
The acharyas have stated one more point in this context. It is the fact that there is violence even if there is no injury to vitalilies, if there is passion or carelessness. It is because the acharyas opine that the term 'vitality' involves both of its form-physical and psychical along with the vitalities of self and others. Accordingly, even if the vitalities of others are not injured, there is the injury of the vitalities of the self due to carelessness or passions. If we consider this point a little deeply, it should be admitted that the existence of mutually opposing violence and non-violence is limited only to injury or preservation of vitalities and not under the state of devoidance of alternatives. In contrast, the detachment or non-possession is the ever-lasting nature of the soul.
While classifying upayoga or applied consciousness, Pravachana Sara"? (Essence of Sermons) has stated that applied consciousness has two varieties: (i) pure and (ii) impure. The first one is devoid of attachment while the second one is associated with attachment. The impure upayoga has also two varieties: (i) auspicious and (ii) inauspicious. The auspicious upayoga involves engagement in compassionate behaviour with all the living beings as it is found in non-violence. Moreover, violence and non-violence are two attributes mutually opposite in nature which are impossible in the absence of the opposite. As a result, the designation of violence and non-violence is possible only as far as the state of options is there. The state of optionless pure soul is possible only in detachment or non-possession.
The auspicious non-violence admitted by the common man has the nature of compassion in all the living beings (PS, v 157).
Ifwe wish to carry the concept of non-violence to a higher stage, we can not realise it separately except its amalgmation in non