Jain Concept of Peace

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Vijyanandsuri_Swargarohan_Shatabdi_Granth_012023.pdf

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body and material objects and has heart free from malice can protect his rights non-violently. In addition to this, such efforts can bear fruits only in a civilized and cultured human society. A non-violent opposition only may be fruitful when ranged against an enemy who has a human heart. Its success becomes dubitable when it has to deal with an enemy who has no faith in human values and wants to serve his selfish motive through violent means.
As far as occupational violence and violence takeing place in routine-walks of the life, is concerned everyone cannot shake it off. For so long as a person has to earn his livelihood and to seek fulfilment of his physical needs, deliberate violence of vegetable kingdom is unavoidable. In Jainism intentional violence to mobile animals by a householder has been forbidden even when it becomes necessary for the maintenance of life and occupation. So far as the violence takes place in defensive activities and wars, Jainas hold. "That it should be minimised as it is possible and unrelated ignorant persons should not be killed at any cost. Jaina thinkers suggested various methods for non-violent wars and to minimise the violence in even just wars. The war which was fought between Bharata and Bahubali is an example of non-violent war.
Though some or other form of violence is inevitable in our life, yet on this basis we should not conclude that the observance of non-violence is of no use in the present. Just as violence is inevitable for living, non-violence is also inevitable for the very existence of human race. So far as the existence of human society is concerned it depends on mutual Co-operation, sacrifice of one's interest in the interest of his fellow-beings and regard for other's life. If above mentioned elements are essential for our social life, how can we say that non-violence is not necessary for human life. Society does not stand on violence but non-violence, not on accepting our own rights but accepting the rights of others as our duty. Thus, we can say that the non-violence is an inevitable principle of the existence for human society. At present we are living in an age of nuclear
due to this the existence of human race is in danger. Lord Mahavira had said in Acaranga that there are weapons superior to eachother, but nothing is superior to non-violence. It is only the observance of non-violence, which can save the human race. It is mutual credibility and the belief in the equality of all beings which can restore
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