________________
70
Jaina Acāra : Siddhānta aura Swarüpa
speech and body. He does not do any wrong, nor gets it done by others. He never supports it directly or indirectly.
No householder can observe vows with ascetics' tenacity and strictness. He is always careful to avoid all palpable violence. He abstains from it hin.self and does not encourage anybody else to indulge in wanton violence.He is exempted from gross violence too when circumstances warrant it. Notwithstanding all care and caution if some insect is crushed, he is not to blame because he did not mean it. Unless lay votaries are good at heart and pure in dealings, it is almost impossible to observe non-violence by mind, speech and action. Even while killing some being they are compassionate and are ready to sacrifice even their life to preserve their vow intact. Non-violence can be observed only by the strong. Timid and weak people can only encourage injustice and vile conduct.
In' Upāsakadasāniga 'Ananda, while accepting the vow of nonviolence enunciated its two kinds. The first Samkalpajā is wilfully and purposelessly killing some being for flesh, bones, skin, nails, hair, teeth and the like. The second 'Arambhajā' violence occurs in digging the earth, building a house, ploughing land and the like. Here there is no will to cause any harm to any being. If while learning how to handle weapons, the learner severely strikes a bystander with no intention of even injuring him, in the eyes of law he is certainly guilty. There is no capital punishment in such cases, for it is culpable homicide not amounting to murder. If a householder, in his attempt to preserve the chastity of a woman, kills the villain, it is not intentional murder but an incidental one.
Some people think that hunting is violence relating to industry, but is is not so, because the hunter's intention is just to seek wild pleasure. This is wilful and so even a greater violence than otherwise. Some others labour under the impression that the killing of predators is no violence because they themselves kill others. A lion or tiger may be held guilty when it attacks you, but to kill them otherwise is wilful and hence condemnable. It is because your will is not to let them live. Should predators start killing human beings taking them to be their enemies, won't you resent it? Men kill animals for taste or pleasure, but animals kill human beings only when they are teased or attacked or when they are hungry. In case a strong animal kills a weak one a strong man kills a weak man, there will be anarchy and widespread violence.
Lay votaries do not trade in flesh and skin, nor do they incite others to do it. Those who do otherwise are certainly partakers of violence. Manu has condemned all such as are directly or indirectly connected with violence. Hemacandra says that those who kill saying that it is their family business are guilty of greater violence in being instrumental for the ruin of their families.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
