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Non-Violence
51
living beings, great or small, want to live, none wants to die; therefore the nirgranthas totally abstain from violence,
The Jaina view of samatā is that no one is inferior or superior, everybody has the potentiality to develop himself and can achieve the highest goal. One's behaviour should be such that it does not retard the development of or injure the physical, mental, or intellectual vitality or 'prāņas' of others. This is depicted in the daily prayer recited by the monks and householders, 'I have friendship with all and enmity with none'.1 Understood in this broad sense, the principle of 'samatā' or 'ahimsā' solves all of the Jaina metaphysical, epistemological and ethical problems.
In Jaina scriptures, as has been seen, life of the individual as such is most respected, and equal favour is given to all. In the field of social ethics first of all a sympathetic attitude for all men in general is seen, the so-called caste system did not convince Mahāvīra, or his predecessor Pārsvanātha. They did not like that one class should dominate the other. Even in the order of Mahāvira there were monks from the so-called 'sūdra' castes, and they were given the same honour and regard as was given to those from the so-called higher castes. This at the outset is the application of equality or 'samatā' to general behaviour of man towards man.
In the intellectual or the philosophical field too, Jainism propounds the theory of 'syādvăda' which means that every judgement is relative. This theory, in brief, expresses the view that every judgement reveals only one aspect of reality, and therefore every judgement is relative and subject to certain conditions. It is because one forgets this' limitation and regards his own judgements as unconditionally true, that he 1. Hoa bitar fa fra fag 7 #fffure',
TEET TOE si fa rieqt qoutyfa Of I -Daśav, 6.11. 2. Fafe À HOA age For TT '
--Avasyaka Sûtra, Śrā. Prati.
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