Jain Journal 2007 07

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

Page 13

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLII, NO.1 JULY 2007
Angra Mainyu, the destroyer of life' until the end of Time, which can be compared with the Jaina sturdy resolution to complete the primary vow of 'ahimsā'. "Ahimsā paramo dharama." It is wellknown that the term 'dharma' meaning established order, social customs, law, virtue and religion, originally comes from the rta asha of the proto-Indo-Iranians.
Thus Zoroastrianism and Jainisin, Into-Iranian religions, have a common point on the observance of Life-centred ethics according to the natural and rational Law. The next and final purpose of this paper is a survey of another type of the respect for life' in Semitic monotheism.
(3) God as the mysterious Law-giver and the created Law : “Thou shalt not kill"
--God-centred ethics of the Semitic monotheism--
According to the Jewish and Christian traditions, the Six Commandment from Exodus 20:13; "Thou shalt not kill”21 is the first and the last source of the ethics on ‘non-killing'. The Hebrew text“... lõtirzaf"22 means “Thou wilt not (intend to) kill." Primarily it is not a mere prohibition on killing but a suggestion that Man will not intend to kill his same kind created by God in His own image. Here it may be possile to read God's confidence in the respect for life” inherent in mankind, but, on the other hand, it is hard to deny that the Commandment on 'non-killing' seems to be applicable to the human society, not the whole life world, and that the Words of God have the absolute authority towards all Men who have the duty to response His Will, where they can only accept the created Law : “Thou shalt not kill" uttered by God Himself, the Creator of Man and the World. The most notable is that God called 'Yahweh' in the Bible hold the
21. The Holy Bible (King James Version). Combridge University Press,
Cambridge, p.71.
22. 'Ahimsā.' on the other hand, is the absolute and natural Law to
take effect on all living beings.