Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

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THE IDEA OF AHMSA ....
ing easily accessible to the people,......... that even trees, animals,plants, etc. are no less significant beings than the human beings, and killing them is as much dreadful as killing the human beings." The conception of yonder world as an inverted world" signifies first the "inversion" of only the two main objects, viz, a victim and a killer in this world, who accordingly are inverted as a killer and victim respectively in the yonderworld, considering the other matters not so much important. This is an inevitable course to impose upon men the dread of the killing. Had they had their rebirth (for the retribution) in this world instead of that in the yonder world, it would have presented a complex situation in deciding who the real victim or the real killer in the "past life" was. The concept of "yonder world" in legends is reserved specially for punishments and retribution.
(f) Ahimsa-asceticism and ritualism :
Now we have to evaluate the ahimsa in this context and to see that the dreadful consequences of the injurious activities (him sa) and their elimination, viz. ahimsa remained one of the fundamental duties of the renouncers (cf. Schmithauser-2 pp. 18 fol. and fn. 106). We have already referred (above 2.b) to some extent to the earlier existence of the brahmacarins -students of the sacred lore, their initiation and duties, etc. Due to some similarities in the initiation rites and prescribed duties of the students (earlier phase) and duties of the renouncers (later phase), it has to be assumed that the duties for the renouncers are modelled more or less after those of the vedic students (cf. Schmithausen-2 p.61, fn. 338 for the remarks on vedic religion and the ascetic movement, ... brahmacarin and/ or samnyasin ...). The students are supposed to wear a particular dress and observe some vows, just as a diksita does during ritual ceremonies. Similarly the students and the renouncers observe celebacy, practise ahimsa, do not perform sacrifices, and they live on begging of alms (Schmidt-1 p.651). Student's aim is to acquire knowledge of the veda, renouncer's aim is to achieve the knowledge of the self. The student can voluntarily adopt the renouncer's mode of life by observing life-long celebacy and living in his teacher's house. Conse. quently, he is also united with the brahmana (n.) and is not born after his death just as the renouncer.
The initial ceremony for a vedic student corresponds to certain rites prescribed for the person who is ready to renounce the world and to become an ascetic (see below; also Schmidt-1