Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
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(2) Psychological Argument against himsă:
After comprehending and beholding the significance of peacefulness of beings, one should renounce himsā, in as much as himsā causes suffering to beings and human suffering caused by theft, hoarding, falsehood, slavery, economic exploitation, social operation, curtailment of legitimate freedoms and the like is a great mental disturbance is dreadful and is associated with unbearable pain and affliction. Since life is dear to all beings, pleasures are desirable, pain is undesirable for them and beings ought not to be killed, ruled, possessed, and distressed and so on.9
It cannot be gainsaid that human beings are engaged in actions and these actions are directed to different ends and some purposes. The Acārānga expresses unpleasant surprise when it finds that there are human beings who are prone to realize ends and purposes through himsā, such as killing, ruling, and possessing, distressing and disquieting beings. They not only commit himsā, but also they provoke others to commit himsā and appreciate those who commit himsā. The Acaränga further tells us that these types of perverted actions defile human personality and thwart its proper development.10 We may thus conclude that the criterion of perverted action is himsā, whereas the criterion of right action or ethico-social action is Ahimsa. It is of capital importance to note that when our energies are directed to himsaka (destructive) ends social development is obstructed and when our energies are directed to Ahimsaka (constructive) ends social development sets in.
It will not be possible to talk of Ahimsa without a world of living beings. Social Ahimsa begins with the awareness of the 'other'. Like one's own existence, it recognizes the existence of other beings. In fact, to negate the existence of other beings is tantamount to negating one's own existence. Since one's own existence cannot be negated, the existence of other beings also cannot be negated. Thus there exists the universe of beings in general and that of human beings in particular.
9 nijjäittä padilehittä patteyam pariņivānam savvesim pāṇānam assātana pariirväṇam mahaubhayam dukkam. Savve pāṇāsuhasāyā dukkhapaḍkula, Savvesim jivitam piyam/ Acārānga Sutra, 49, 78
10 Imassa ceva jiviyassa parivamdana puyaṇāejati-maraṇa-moyaṇāya dukkha parighāta heumse sayameva pudhavi sattham-udeyasattham-aganisattham-vanessattisattham-vayusttha-taskäyasathan samarambhati,
annhinvä puthvisattan (ādi) samārambhaveti, anne va puthvisattham (ādi) samāmrambhate samanījāti. Tam se ahitae....) Ibid 13,24,35,43, 51, 38
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0
