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Non-Violence
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saving the life of a bird, and on the other, there was the question of food for another. Then what he finally decided is an example of extreme compassion. He asked the eagle to cut some portion of his own body and thus satisfy his appetite. What happened afterwards is irrelavent, nothing could materialize, because all that was done by some gods to test the king's love and compassion for the living beings. Interestingly enough, the story with a slight difference is found in the Mahābhārata and also in the Buddhist literature. This evidently suggests that in Jainism there is proper room for love and compassion-the positive aspect of non-violence for saving the living beings.
The Mabāvrata
In one of the twofold system of Jaina ethics, meant for monks and nuns, the vow of non-violence is technically called as 'sabbão pāņāivāyão veramaņam' which means complete observance of the precept of non-violence; in negative terms it is complete (sabbão) abstention (veramaņam) from violence of all types (major or minor). The monks and nuns, since they stand on a higher spiritual platform, can commit no act of violence, mild, moderate or intense, under any circumstances. They are supposed to observe this vow through mind, speech and body and not to kill with ill intentions, purposely or inadvertently any of the ten vitalities of a living being, movable or immovable (trasa or sthāvara), and even of an invisible (sūkşma) living being, not to speak of a visible (bādara) living being. They observe the vow themselves. They should not ask anybody else to commit the slightest act of violence; nor do they approve or appreciate such an act of violence committed by some one else. This in brief is des
1. पढ़मे भंते ! महव्वए पाणाइवायाओ वेरमणं । सव्वं भंते । पाणा इवायं
पच्चक्खामि । से सुहुमं वा बायरं वा तसं वा थावरं वा, नेव संय पाणे अइवाइज्जा, नेवण्णेहिं पाणे अइवायाविज्जा पाणे अईवायंते वि अण्णे न समणुजाणामि । जावज्जीवाए तिविहं तिविहेणं मणेणं, वायाए, काएणं न करेमि, न कारवेमि करतं पि अन्नं न समणुजाणामि । तस्स भंते.... Heag safarif# farsit que arrit à Huil-Dasav. 4.1.
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