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grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self. We should, therefore, refrain from inflicting upon others such injury, suffering or pain as would be undesirable or unbearable if inflicted upon ourselves.”
The first requirement to start practicing Ahimsa is to be spiritually awakened with characteristics like being awake i.e. careful all the time, develop compassion, unconditional love or total detachment, service of meritorious and ever eager to advance on the path of spiritual purification. This is followed by the practice of prescribed ethico-spiritual practices of Jains (basic virtue, abstinence from vices, six essential duties, and five minor vows) discussed earlier to maintain equanimity.
The question now arises about what activities are worthy (good) to be adopted and unworthy (inauspicious) to be avoided. Jains say that the GOOD is total Ahimsa or Ahimsa of all living beings that is synonymous with Godhood or pure soul / state of bliss and pure knowledge. This GOOD can be mathematically expressed as a sum of Ahimsa components like detachment, eliminating passions (anger, arrogance, deceitfulness and greed), compassion, love, fearlessness, equanimity and so on simultaneously. Total Ahimsa is practiced by an Arihanta Jina.
Convergent validation for this non-killing thesis can be found in the first global survey by the World Health Organization of deaths by suicide, homicide, and war which conclude that "violence is a preventable disease." (WHO 2005)
For practice by householders, violence is classified as of four types, namely: 1 Violence associated with lifestyle. 2 Violence associated with professional activities, e.g.
agriculture. 3 Self-defence against violence committed by others i.e. to
protect oneself from the enemies. 4 Intentional / premeditated violence committed due to
attachment and aversion towards others.
Gandhi & Jainism
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