ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 93

as non-intentional defensive himsā. This leads us to the philosophy of fighting defensive
wars. 21
Now the householder is incapable of turning away completely from himsā, hence he should keep himself away from the deliberate commission of himsā of the two-sensed to fivesensed beings.22 The commitment of himsă in adopting defensive contrivances cannot be counteracted by him. Thus he has to commit intentional injury to one-sensed Jīvas, namely, the vegetable-bodied, the fire-bodied etc; and non-intentional injury in fighting defensive wars. Even in the realm of one-sensed Jivas and in the realm of fighting defensive wars he is required to confine his operations in such a way as may affect the life and existence of a very limited number of Jīvas.23 in these two provinces the point to be noted is that of alleviating the amount of injury that is apt to be caused and not that of total relinquishment which is not possible without jeopardizing the survival of man. The hard fact to be noted is that man is subject to himsā by the very condition of his existence. Yet instead of aggravating the natural weight of himsā by falling foul upon one another and by our cruel treatment of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, we should endeavour to alleviate this general curse, to the extent to which we are capable of doing, by conforming ourselves to the sacred injunctions enjoined by Jaina spiritual teachers. Vegetarianism is therefore prescribed. It limits us to the unavoidable injury caused to only one-sensed-Jīvas. This is the philosophy of vegetarianism propounded by Jainism.
5.0 Method of Propagating the Doctrine of Karma Mahāvīra ascribed responsibility to an individual for the actions that he does in society. For establishing this he propagated the doctrine of Karma. Individuals differ from one another in respect of cognition, conation and affection etc. What is the cause of this difference? How to account for these perceptible distinctions among individuals? The answer of Mahāvīra is that it is the beginning-less material subtle principle known as Karma that is responsible for the cause of differences in individuals. This Karma has been exercising its limiting and crippling influence on individuals from the beginningless past. This material subtle principle is known as Dravya-karma, and its psychical counterpart in terms of Raga (Attachment) and Dvesa (Aversion) is called Bhāva-Karma.
21 Jainadarśanasāra by pt. Chainsukhadasa, Page 63, (Sadbodha Granthamala, Jaipur). 22 Puruşārthasidhyupāya of Amrtacandra (Rajchandra Ashram, Agas).75 23 Ibid. 77
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0