Jain Journal 2014 07

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

Page 53

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLIX, NO. 1-IV JULY 2014-JUNE 2015
talism can be found in a mutual sensitivity towards living things. The doctrine of anekantavāda is associated with deep ecology's emphasis on the possibility of a plurality of solutions to environmental problems, while the Jain aphorism, parasparopagraho jīvānām, compares with deep ecology's emphasis on the interconnectivity of living beings. These two Jain tenets are both cited within the tradition as well as by outside academics as examples of Jainism's inherent ecological ethic. Any comparison between deep ecology and Jainism based on anekāntavāda and parasparopagrahojīvānā can be based only on a nearsighted view of the terms, and, as a result, an incomplete representation of the relationship between Jainism and the deep ecology movement through anekantavada and parasparopagraho jīvānām is produced.
Jainism and deep ecology are most commonly connected through the Jain doctrine of ahimsa, or nonviolence, and is best articulated through the aphorism -- ahimsa paramo dharmah", or nonviolence is the paramount path'. This statement has become the calling card of Jainism, and the flag behind which Jains have connected themselves to deep ecology. Kokila Shah explains that Jain--non-violence is the principle for ecological harmony par excellence. It may be compared with deep ecology1o or as Devall11 states: -- "The norm of nonviolence is readily accepted by deep ecologist". Deep ecologist use ahimsa as a doctrine that respects other living creatures, and requires the protection of these creatures from all forms of harm, specifically harm from human environmental destruction. As we have seen, the Jain understanding of what is a living creature extends to any being that has one or more of the five senses (touch, tast, smell, sight, and hearing). Therefore it requires that the principle of nonviolence be used towards elements, plants, animals and humans. Value of Living Beings in Jainism and Deep Ecology:
The idea of inherent value for living things within the natural world is also found within Jainism's ahimsa, which argues that all