Jain Journal 2008 01 No 03

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

Page 22

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JAIN JOURNAL : VOL-XLII, NO.3 JANUARY 2008
his Cāritra-sära has given a different list of mental attitude which are not even common to the above list. However, bhāvanā is accepted by both the sects as one of the mental attitudes for spiritual life. VIII. Non-violence (Ahiṁsā):
Last but not least, I must mention the doctrine of ahińsā, nonviolence, as propagated by the Jains. In Indian soil the doctrine of animsā has always been considered as pure and serene. Whenever, there is a question of ahiṁsā it has always been eulogised without any exception. In Vedic literature there are ample passages where "no animal is to be killed” is emphasized. In Buddhism also, particularly in the Suttanipāta and in the Dhammapada, kindness towards all beings (mettī) and non-violence (ahiṁsā) and many other ethical doctrines are found. It is true that both the Hindus and the Buddhist have accepted the question of ahiṁsā, it is practically the Jains who have raised the status of ahiṁsā into a system of philosophical order. The quintessence of ahiṁsā has made Mahāvīra an outstanding exponent of social equality and justice. !
The basic idea of Mahāvīra about ahiṁsā starts from the fact that every living creature on earth including vegitable kingdom has a right to live side by side with men and it is the prime duty of human beings to show respect to that right of all creatures. We can understand this attitude of Mahāvīra from a text named Daśavaikālikasūtra codified later on where it is said-- savve jīvā vi icchanti jīviuṁ na marijjium / taṁhā pāņivaham ghoram nigganthā vajjayanti nam // [1.6.10] "All animals wish to live, and not to be slain; therefore, the Jain monks must relinquish the dangerous killing of animals.”
That vegitable kingdoms have lives had been expressed by Manu 22 hundred years ago. Manu (3rd / 2nd cent. B.C.) proclaims that even the trees or vegitable kingdoms have lives and they have feelings and they can have happiness and sorrows (antaḥsamjña bhavantyete sukha-duḥkhāh samanvitāḥ, 1. 49). The idea of Manu was proved true by Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1902 in his “Response in the living and non-living." In Indian literature there are many occa