Introducing Jainism

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

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INTRODUCING JAINISM
beings will not behave like butchers where lives of all sorts are annihilated. Mahāvira emphasises that if his principles of non-violence are practised and followed, then there will be no violence in the world, and therefore a heavenly bliss. of tolerance will prevail all over the world.
XIV. The Doctrine of Ahimsā
India is the cradle of Ahimsā From the Vedic times down to the present day, the doctrine of ahimsā has always been regarded as pure and serene. There are some passages in' the Vedas which tell us the eulogy of ahimsā. ..
What Mahāvīra actually talked about ahimsā cannot be known authentically, because most of his teachings and doctrines have come down to us through his disciples and their descendants who have kept in their memory the sayings of Mahavira for nearly a thousand years after his nirvana till the second council at Valabhi in the 5th cent. A.D. which codified the doctrines of Mahāvīra in the present form of the Āgamas of both the sects. I shall only discuss the position of ahimsā as recorded in the Agama texts considering them to be the views of Mahāvira.
i) Mahāvīra on Ahimsā”
In the Āgama texts the nature of ahimsā is generally descriptive. The passages as recorded there are the glorification of ahimsā. At a much later time the glorification was turned into a philosophy. For example, in the Daśavaikālika-sūtra non-killing (ahimsā)is regarded as one of the best and excellent dharmas along with controlling of mind (samyama) and penance (tapa), and the followers of ahimsā are even respected by gods :
dhammo mangalam ukkittham ahimsā samjamo tavo/ devā vi tam namamssantijassa dhamme sayā mano//I.I.I.
This has a parallel in the Dhammapada (19.6) : yamhi saccam ca dhammo ca ahimsā samyamo damo/ . sa ve vantamalo dhīro so thero ti pavuccati//