________________
OUR AHIMSA AND NON-VIOLENCE 7 with Ajitanjaya. Their pride broke down, they became the disciples of the guru, took to tapas and went to Mahesvarakalpa.
(To be continued.)
OUR AHIMSA AND NON-VIOLENCE
IN NON-CO-OPERATION. AHIMSA,-non-killing as is broadly understood by this term
1 is our creed. This is the main principle of our religion, the pivot on which the whole structure rests. This word does not only mean non-killing as is commonly interpreted, but has a very wide application, when properly analysed. To kill a bird, any breathing creature voluntarily is, of course, what we forbid, yet there are people in our community who imagine themselves the great followers of the great light, simply because, they don't kill any living creatures or do not eat flesh. Yet they are essentially violating the main teachings of our religion, either consciously or unconsciously. To suppress your inferiors, to cause them misery and agony, to inflict hardships upon them whom it is your duty to protect, to afflict the aged and the poor are more aggravated forms of Himsa than the main, wide sense stated belore which is generally held to be the only form of Himsa. Ahimsa demands purity not only in deed, bul in thought and words. An unkind word injudiciously spoken is often the cause of more disaster and pain than the severest blade of an assassin's dagger. So, it is to be clearly noted that the word ahimsa according to our sacred scriptures is a very wide word including all sorts of 'Zoobums' which persons in power commit upon those under them.
It is not uncommon to observe people calling our great religion a religion of cowardice and weakness. In their opinion, an exhibition of weakness by not resisting the blows of an enemy and paying him in his own coin is the greatest form of cowardice which deserves all hate and contempt. According to them the present times will only allow the survival of the Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
