Book Title: Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald 1916 Book 12
Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Jain Shwetambar Conference
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.. Ahinsa. It is only the innocent beings whom a Jain should not kill. Those who deserve punishment must get the right chastisement and the Jains are free to use the necessary force.
There are the Kathas in which the Sadhus have made use of force for the protection of innocent persons and to save women from sacrilegre In a Jain Grantha Nishith Chulika Chapter X is related a story of Kalikacharya who in order to save a Sadhvi from being dishonored by a prince caused Another prince to bring his forces to her rescue. There is another Katha of a Sadhu Vishnu Kumar; he himself punished a king who intended 2, kill all the Jain Sadhus within his empire.
The Jain Ahinsa not merely a negative precept. "Don't hurt", It is more It is a positive Moral Commandment. [t says "Soothe Serve' It is not only live and let live, but also help others to live.
No doubt there are weaknesses in modern Jains. Their community is not very bathy or flourishing. Much work and sacrifice are needed to them and we hope that young Jains will not lag behind doing their duty. They are already alert. But Ahinsa is not cause of their weakness. Modern Jains are mostly business aen like the non-jain Vaish nave Community. It is their conta t with this Vaishon Community that has introduced in them most of the evils. We have an evidence of the Vaish influence in the social rites and ceremonies of the Jains most of which are quite inconsistant with Jain principles. The same influnce is at the root of Jains' dislike of force of fear wherever it exists ). It is not an inherited fear but a borrowed fear. The Vaish fear is the indirect result of Brahamain and Kshatriya supremacy of the kind found in ancient India when Vaishas could be treated despotically and with impunity while they could not raise a voice against the Brahamans for fear of incurring the rage of gods. Jainism recognises neither any supremacy of any class nor the fear of gods while doing any right and just action.
