________________
complete self discipline to all as he believed in ceaseless striving for perfection rather than perfection. The followers must live in the world normally, aware of the inevitability of violence in their actions, safeguarding Ahimsa if the impetus of those actions was grounded in compassion.
He further said, "Not to hurt any living thing is no doubt a part of Ahimsa. But it is its least expression. The principle of Ahimsa is not to hurt by even evil thought, by undue haste, by lying, by hatred, by wishing ill to anybody. It is also violated by our holding on to what the world needs. But the world needs what we eat day after day. In the place where we stand there are millions of micro-organisms to whom the place belongs, and who are hurt by our presence there...... Realizing the limitations of the body, we must strive day by day towards the ideal with whatever strength we have in us."
The views expressed above by Gandhi based on his experience show a profound impact of Jain ethics for even a householder where violence is divided in four main subtypes, namely; intentional (not allowed at all), professional and lifestyle (to be minimized) and defensive to be practised when necessary. Defensive violence is similar to what Gandhi talks of at point-i above 'to commit violence against injustice'.
Progressive realization of Ahimsa is achieved by being careful in all activities of life, by exercising self restraint and caution; being nonviolent in thought speech and action such as indicated by the flaws of Ahimsa Anuvrata namely binding living beings in captivity, beating living beings, mutilating limbs, overloading excessive weight on living beings, withdrawing or providing insufficient food or water to living beings. Concerning his views at point ii., Ahimsa is the basis of its entire Jain philosophy to achieve liberation. 99
Gandhi & Jainism
Pg. 161
