Jain Center Minnesota MN 2007 07 Pratishtha

Author(s): Jain Center Minnesota USA
Publisher: USA Jain Center Minnesota

Page 92

Practicing Ahimsa: Broadening our Viewpoint
by Mona Shah, Eden Prairie MN
I believe all of life is a system of interdependent processes. My place in this system is small but profound. Religion teaches us how to navigate this system of life. The great emphasis on navigating life with nonviolence as the guiding principle is what sets Jainism apart from other religions.
Non-violence means to minimize harm to ourselves and others both short-term and long-term. 'Others' means all of life and includes human, animal, and plant forms. What is difficult is not taking all these individual forms separately at one point in time, but taking them together and viewing them as interdependent throughout time. For example, I may move into that new dream home of mine believing that I have earned such a luxurious home and all my friends have one. But, when I think about the fact that the land being destroyed by my home used to be the home of an entire ecosystem of plants or birds animals, then I realize that I am hurting the system of life.
The application of non-violence is broad so its effects are broad too. The main effects are, simply, happiness, bliss, and harmony. I feel happy when I do not hurt myself with angry, jealous, greedy, or ignorant thoughts. I feel happier when I do not act on these thoughts. However, I feel happiest when I. realize that I am not hurting others and not having an adverse effect on the system. In order to achieve this level of happiness, I believe that Non-violence need every choice that I make: what I eat, what I wear, what I say, where I live, how I make money, what I drive, how I parent, how I treat other less fortunate, how I treat others with no voice, and all that I do. I have to continually ask myself "If I think/do this, what will be the short-term and long-term effect on myself and on others?", and "Knowing this, will I feel happier or not with that choice?” Constantly analyzing is how I can practice ahimsa.
LIVE & LET LIVE
90