ISJS Transactions 2018 07 To 09 Vol 02 No 03

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

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ana nirvana in Buganism. It snould be noted, thougn, that the pener in arman (Soul) is different amongst the two, with Jainism affirming ātman, and Buddhism denying it.
Both Jainism and Buddhism also share similar ethical and moral precepts, called sīla in Buddhism. The basic training rules observed by practicing lay Buddhists are called the pancasila (Five Precepts), which can be found in all Buddhist schools. In Buddhism, the first and primary precept states, 'I undertake to observe the rule to abstain from taking life. The fifth century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator and scholar, Buddhaghosa, defines 'taking life as the will to kill anything that one perceives as having life, to act so as to terminate the life-force in it, in so far as the will finds expression in bodily action or in speech." Therefore, at a philosophical level, the importance of Ahimsa in body, speech, and mind is the same in both the Buddhist and Jain traditions.
18 ISJS-Transactions, Vol.2, No.3, Jul-Sep, 2018
Practically, however, the extent of ahimsic practice does vary between the two schools. The Buddhists take a more moderate approach in the treatment of the principle of ahimsā in actual performance. The killing or murder of humans is unacceptable in all schools of Buddhism, but the practice of killing animals for food varies amongst the different Buddhist communities and practitioners. The contemporary Buddhist doctrine limits the practice of non-violence to the actions of the practitioner himself. It does not admonish ‘killing by proxy.'"* For instance, a Buddhist practitioner might not directly kill an animal for food, but if an animal had died by natural or accidental death, then it seems that it would be acceptable to eat its flesh. In many ways, vegetarianism has been deemed as a personal choice, based on the practitioner's development of compassion and concern for others. 56
Ahimsā broadened
The Jains take a much stronger stance towards non-violence than the major world religions as discussed. Jainism not only considers the principle of ahimsā in all its aspects, but also makes it obligatory on its followers to abstain from committing violence in nine possible ways: specifically, it is expected that a devout Jain should not commit violence through manas (mind), vacana (speech) and kāya (body) and each through the manner of krta (personally enacted), kārita (commissioned through others) and anumodita (giving consent for enactment by others)."
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian Nation and leader of non-violent civil disobedience, explored ahimsā within the full range of religious doctrines and practices, and was quoted as saying: "Nonviolence is common to all religions, but it has found the highest expression and application in Hinduism (I do not regard Jainism or Buddhism as separate from Hinduism)."
Later, he went on to praise Jainism in particular as the pinnacle of ahimsic philosophy and practice, saying: "No religion of the world has explained the principles of Ahimsa so deeply and systematically as discussed with the applicability in life as Jainism. As and when this benevolent principle of Ahimsa will be sought for practice by the people of the world to achieve their ends of life in this world and beyond, Jainism is sure to have the uppermost status and Bhagwan Mahavir is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on Ahimsa."39