________________
Dr. Chandranath Chatterjee : Impact of Jainism on Environmental Sustainability 49
microbes or big ones as equal and forbids their killing by any means. This perception provides a better understanding among followers of this religion towards conservation of nature, ecology and bio diversity.
Jain environmentalism is largely based on spirituality, non violence and equality. Jainism is a religion of kindness. It aims at the welfare of all living beings. Non-violence (Ahimsā) is one of the principal doctrines of Jainism that deals with there striction of not harm- ing living beings. Each life form that is plant or animal has an inherent worth and each must be respected. Jain followers can actively use their knowledge and understanding of practing non-violence principles in meeting the present ecological needs. Jainism presents a giant view that advocates the inter relatedness of all forms of life (Jiva). Its ethics and principle, which is largely based on obligation, can easily be extended to earth ethics. It explicitly emphasized that every Jiva must be respected. It confers that every human beings which is highly advance creature of earth have a great moral adn ethical responsibility with the rest of the universe in thier shared dealings and associations. This ethical responsibility makes Jainism a cradle for the creed of ecological conservation.
Jain ethics insists that any form of violence has harmful effects on those who commit it, with subsequent ill effects in terms of karma. "Ahimsā-paramo-dharmaḥ” means non injury to any living creature, is one of the basic principal of Jainism. Harming or killing any life form (Jiva), is the greatest of all sins. Jainism asserts that there must be no destruction. There should be kindness and sympathy for all living creatures at every step of daily life. For the Jains, ahimsā means to represent one's compliance to detach himself not merely from acts of injury or killing, but also from the entire mechanism of violence, hostility, anger, possession, and utilization that is common in rest of the world. Jainism preached it so philosophically by accepting the principle the inter dependent existence of nature and animals. Jain
