Jain Digest 1990 01 Vol 17 No 01

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

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the religious and ethical significance of Ahimsa. Then only will he be able to realize that this principle far transcends the ordinary moral principle "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, It is based upon a much nobler ideal: "Love your enemies"; return good for evil; if they have injured you, do not take revenge but generously pity them, for "they know not what they do."
This religious ideal of Ahimsa, revealed to the world by Lord Rishabha, was, as sald, the guiding principle of life among the Indians even before the Aryans invaded India and settled here. Though they conquered the land militarily and subdued the people of the conquered country, still they could not escape being influenced by the higher culure and the nobler principle preserved dy the people of the land. The Vedic culture which was brought by the Aryans into India was no doubt incompatible with the Ahimsa culture which prevailed in the land prior to the Aryan invasion. Still they had to accept this noble principle. Hence we find this influence on later Vedic thought; it was mainly responsible for the Upanishadic development. It teaches man to turn his thought to his own self instead of to the natural forces around him. By this shifting of importance from the external world, he learns to turn his attention upon his inner self, whose spiritual greatness is more powerful than the brute forces of nature. This maybe taken to be the core of Indian thought in general; it was contributed by Jainism from the earliest days of Indian history.
Besides Ahimsa there is anotherpoint peculiar to Jainism This is Tapas or Yoga, which has a special importance in thə Jain religion. The purpose of this discipline is to secure complete control of body and mind. This practice of Tripas or Yoga, genera!ly associted with Jain ascetics, is quite different from the bodily yoga asanas practised in Hatha Yoga by Hindu ascetics. Jainism recognizes only the postures of the body of the person engaged in Yogic cotemplation. Standing erect (kayothsarga)and quietly sitting while engaged in contempla tion; these are the two types of Yogic postures which are generally illustrated by the idols in the temple representing the Tirthankaras.
The description of this Yogic contemplation given in the Jain Yogasastras clearly brings out the ideal aimed at.
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