Jain Journal 2003 04

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

Page 11

190
JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XXXVII, NO. 4 APRIL 2003
6:11. Ezekiel 8:17), and all human transactions led to violence and sin (Ezekiel 28:16). This is true until now. War and violence will remain until when humanity realizes this simple but basic truth about the sacredness of all living beings.
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Every organic life is concerned about its liberation. Hence the cause of bondage and the means of liberation are common for all living beings. The world has to apprehend that sinful acts towards one another set a block to the achievement of such liberation. 'For the sake of the splendour, honour, glory of this life, for the sake of birth, death and final liberation, for the removal of pain, man acts sinfully towards earth, or causes others to act so, or allows others to acts so. This deprives him of happiness and perfect wisdom' (Acārānga Sūtra, 1.1.2.3) and ‘man that does not comprehend and renounce the cause of sin..... is born again and again in manifold births, experiences all painful feeling's (Ibid. 1.1.6.7). The Jaina scriptures are particular is expounding the truth about suffering caused by selfishness and indiscriminate acts, the real causes of sin : ‘The (living) world is afflicted, miserable, difficult to instruct and without discrimination. In this world full of pain, suffering caused by their different acts, see the benighted ones cause great pain' (Ācāränga Sūtra, 1.1.2.1). The Jaina masters point out another truth about life: ‘All beings are fond of life, (they) like pleasure, dislike pain, shuns destruction, like life, long to live. To all life is dear' (Ibid, 1.2.3.4). And hence if hiṁsā is injurious and painful to one, the same will be painful to another because all beings hate pain. 'Know and realize that they all desire happiness. By hurting these beings, you harm your own soul.....' (Sūtrakytānga 1.7.1.2). Therefore one should not kill them (Ibid. 1.11.9). And this is the quintessence of wisdom (Ibid, 1.11.10), the maxix of general application (Ibid, 11.280). From a Christian perspective it might sound like this: God commanded the earth to produce all forms of life and it was done. And God was pleased with what he saw (Genesis 1:24-25). This is the basis for any environmental theology. Nonviolence or non-injury to life is based on the principle of