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Towards A Truly Global
when the whole world is involved in be violence. False words and wrong action are also
examples of violence. To harm anyone or to indulge in corruption is also violence.
widespread violence, it will have to heed to the principle of non-violence with sincerity, devotion and respect more than what was shown to it in the past. Violence at the individual level and also at the level of the whole universe is increasing day by day in one form or the other. From every six rupees collected by way of tax from the starving millions, at least one rupee is being spent on the army and on armaments and what one gets in return is fear, terror and insecurity. The same super powers which have created these weapons of destruction have now to enter into mutual treaties to eliminate them. Countries, which on one hand are talking of peace, are preparing for war on the other hand. Ahimsa or non-violence is not a supreme precept, it is more a way of life which gives shape to humanity and to human beings. The most ancient Jain scripture Acharang Sutra says, "Not to kill or harm or destroy any living being is the purest, permanent and most eternal religion." The very first chapter of this ancient scripture details the causes and instruments of violence. The essence of Tirthankara Mahavira's thoughts on Ahimsa can be gauged from his following words -
"You are the one whom you want to strike, you are the one on whom you wish to establish your command, you are the one on whom you are in anguish, you are the one who wants to kill. That is why a wise person never strikes anyone, never controls others, and never causes any pain to others."
Ahimsa is the very foundation of the Jain religion. The Jain religion has given great prominence to it and has given a considerable thought to it. Ahimsa as a principle has evolved out of the feeling of equality for all beings. All beings crave to live. No one likes to die. All desire happiness. No one desires pain or sorrow. Even the thought of violence results in violent acts. That is why the Jain religion considers violence or non-violence in the context of the one who indulges in it. Wherever there is negligence, there shall always
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The seed of violence is first sown in thought and then is reflected in words and action. That is why it is said, "War is born in the hearts of men". Acharya Umaswati says परस्परोपग्रहो जीवानाम् 'Parasparopgraho Jivanam' which means that each living being lives because of the mutual cooperation among the beings. The concept of Ahimsa enunciated by Lord Mahavira is very comprehensive and embraces all beings in it. It believes in the unity of life. It treats every living being with utmost equality and respects it the same way. If there is cruelty against animals, there can as well be cruelty against human beings.
Cruelty is not merely a form of external act, it is part of one's evil thinking. One, who is cruel, will demonstrate and practice cruelty against every being - may it be human beings or animals or even insects. Man has become so cruel and crude, that even when he wants to test fire his gun, he would kill someone without any hesitation or remorse. In the US, once a father scolded his son for some wrong doing. The son suddenly countered by saying, "I will shoot you." May be in every aspect of his life, newspapers, films, T.V., books etc., he is exposed to violence? In such a situation, the message of non-violence will guide him and others in the right direction, where humanity should be headed for its own survival. One who has compassion in his heart, will show compassion to others.
Mahavira's concept of non-violence appealed to Mahatma Gandhi, two thousand five hundred years later and he applied it to all walks of life. In 1946 he stood unarmed with compassion in his heart before a furious mob which was carrying lethal weapons. The mob had to bow down before this half-naked Fakir. Non-violence had won, violence was defeated. Lord Mountbatten had then said, "What we could not accomplish by dispatching a full army brigade
non eftice and generate are the excheine pasion of no one race or religion
Jainism World of Non-Violence
was accomplished single handedly by this one man, thereby saving the entire eastern side of the country from complete annihilation. One remembers Prof. S. R. Bhatt's statement in which he had said, "The seed of the thought that was sown some two thousand five hundred years ago was reaped by Gandhi (The
Thought of Ahimsa). As if there was an invisible traffic between Mahavira and Gandhi."
This principle of Ahimsa will have to be adopted in practice by human beings. The Jain religion and philosophy steadfastly emphasize the integrity and totality of life. It has a holistic view towards life. It is
a religion that teaches assimilation and not division. Hence a member of the family and an employee of the shop-both must be treated on par. Today the man in the temple and the man elsewhere have become two separate personalities, different from each other. In order to integrate these two separate personalities into a single, undivided one, we will have to inculcate the spirit of Ahimsa among the people, the world over. The practice of Ahimsa should not be limited to
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the four walls of the temple, it should be spread far and wide covering all walks of our life. It should be accompanied by love and compassion for all.
Non-violence presupposes the coexistence of different religions, philosophies, thoughts and minds in peace with each other. That is why Santbalji has said, "It is the Jain religion which has given to the world such precious gifts as non-violent culture and the thought of peaceful coexistence." The world today and the one that would follow need such thoughts and feelings. Jonathan Swift at one place writes, "We have just enough religions to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another." If we accept the feelings. expressed in this statement by this great writer, we can cross all hurdles that are created by religious fundamentalism, and intolerance, and achieve the objective of 'Religious fellowship'. As terrorism in various forms is spreading its tentacles all around, the world can still be saved with the help of the principle of non-violence.
Right Faith, Knowledge and Conduct Manushya
Tiryancha
Ahimsa Hand
Teachings of 24 Tirthankars
PEACE
few
Siddhas
Dev
Narki
Mutual support and
interdependence
परस्परोपग्रहो जीवानाम NON-VIOLENCE
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