________________
130
THE JAINA GAZETTE
Ahimsa Parmo Dharmah (non-injury to life is the Highest Religion) is a well-known Motto of Jainism. Ahimsa is, in fact, the Highest Ideal of all religion and morality. The ethical principles of all the religions of the world are nothing but the waves of this Ocean of Ahimsa Dharma. Ahimsa Dharma is all-pervading,-like the oil in the seeds of sesamum. It is pervading through all the religions and ethics.
Love thy neighbour doctrine of Ahimsa.
.. 66
men
is nothing but a limited form of the 'Love thy nation 'Love thy countryare also the circumscribed prir.ciples of Ahimsa-the Highest Law of morality. Climbing still upward, "Love humanity or "The Universal Brotherhood of All Mankind" is only an inner, narrower circle of the Wider circle of Jain Ahimsa. Jain Ahimsa says "Do not injure any soul, love all living beings." Jain Ahimsa is, in reality, the Universal Brotherhood of All Living Beings. Jain Ahimsa is the widest circle of compassion and mercy, all the phases of tender feeling prevalent in the world are its inner, narrower circles. Here is one who feels love for his family members. There is another who feels love for his neighbour. There is a third who entertains love for his caste or clan. Here is a fourth who is ready to bestow his love on his countrymen whether they belong to his clan or not. Thus climbing higher and higher, a sage comes forward who propogates love for all mankind.' He perhaps standing only a step lower than the Highest, propounds the beneficient doctrine of the Universal Brotherhood of All Mankind and does immence good to the world thereby. Then on the top of the ladder we find the most Benevolent Personage called the 'Jina' (the conqueror of evil self) propounding the doctrine of Ahimsa the Universal Brotherhood of All-Living Beings. Ahimsa is thus the basis as well as the pinnacle of all religion and ethics.
44
..
""
""
..
Now the question arises why Himsa is forbidden-what harm consists in doing Himsa-why one should follow Ahimsa, -in short, what is the metaphysical basis of Ahimsa. In order to know all that, first we should understand what Atman iswhat its Svabhava (Real nature) and Final Goal are. In Jain
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
