Jain Journal 1991 01

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

Page 40

138
of his companions or for the protection of his belongings. All those who are attached to the physical world and has a social obligation to protect others life and property are unable to despense with this defensive violence. A person living in family is unable to keep away completely from this type of violence because he is committed to the security of family members and their belongings. In the same way the persons, who are in government can not get rid of it for they are the custodians of human rights and national property.
JAIN JOURNAL
It is true that in our times Gandhi planned a non-violent method of opposition and applied it successfully. But it is not possible for all to oppose non-violently with success. Only a man, who is unattached to his body and material objects and his 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 nonviolent opposition only may be fruitful when ranged against an enemy who has a human heart. Its success becomes doubtful 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 which takes place in routine-works of the life, one cannot shake them off. For so long as a person has to earn his livelihood and to seek fulfilment of his physical needs, del berate violence to 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.
Though some or other form of violence is inevitable in our life, yet on this basis we should not conclude that the observence of nonviolence is of no use in the present. Just as violence is inevitable in the world for living, non-violence is also inevitable for the very existence of human race. So far the existence of human society is concerned it depends on mutual co-operation, sacrifice of ones 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 on non-violence, not on fulfilment of self-interest but on sacrifice of self-interest, not on accepting our own rights but accepting the rights of others as our duty. Thus, we can say that non-violence is an inevitable principle of the existence for human society. At present we are living in an age of nuclear weapons and