Jain Journal 1984 07

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

Page 13

living as a householder. In performance of his duties he is liable to commit some sort of violence. Therefore, four stages of violence have been described in Jaina ethics :9
JAIN JOURNAL
1. Premeditated violence (Samkalpajä-Himsā):
To attack some one knowingly with determination.
2. Defensive violence (Virodhi-Himsā):
To commit violence for defending one's own life, property, etc.
3. Violence during vocation (Udyogi-Himsa):
Violence committed during earning one's own living by doing work like business, agriculture, etc.
4. Common violence (Arambhaja-Himsā):
Violence committed during the course of daily activities likepreparing food, cleaning house, etc., for remaining alive.
In this way the first premeditated violence is prohibited for all people according to the Jaina view. A householder can commit the violence of second and third kinds but with complete detachment and purity of thoughts. Fourth kind of violence is committed by a house-holder as well as a monk during the course of his actions for remaining alive. According to the Jaina view one tries to escape from this kind of violence also, as far as possible, so that he may attain inner purity. Therefore, if we think minutely we will find that even microscopic violence is not allowed in religion, according to Jaina ethics. Even if it is the violence of thoughts or externally it is the violence of any living being, both of them can not be the religious rules of Jaina ethics. The ultimate object of Jaina ethics is to become completely non-violent. Whatever compassion, love, friendship, feeling of one-ness, tolerance etc., for all living beings are kept for the fulfilment of this goal, are the social achievements of non-violence. This acute non-violent attitude has kept the vegetarian view of life alive in Indian society. "All the norms of conduct like filtering the water before drinking it, abstaining from taking meals at night, refraining from meat and alcohol, have been adopted keeping ahimsa in view."10 Despite the scarcity of money and armed forces, the non-violence has raised the moral and the strength of character of the Indians to its highest. In the opinion of Dr. D. S. Kothari "In the hands of Mahatma Gandhi, ahimsa-the sword of self-suffering, became
a
Sogani, K. C., Ethical Doctrines in Jainism, Solapur, 1967, p. 77-78. 10 Bharilla, H.C., Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir, Songad, 1980, p. 21.