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JAINISM
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Ahimsa, Non-Injury, is an absolute one, i.e. it refers to all living beings whatsoever, to non-doing, non-causing, and non-approving. and to thought, word, and action. For the layman, however, it is only a partial one, by one or other of the just mentioned factors remaining excluded, and by being limited to the avoiding of intentional and purposeless injuring of harmless beings only.
This illustrates the discipline of Jain laymen or Sravakas, who are supposed to keep 12 special commandments (Desa Virali) in contradistinction to the strict rules for ascetics (Saroa Virati), and whose whole life is influenced and regulated according to the chief ideas of Non-injury and Self-restraint within the limits of secular usage and propriety.
It is no wonder that Jainism, the commandments of which are so fit to guarantee the "greatest happiness of the greatest number" not only of men, but all of kinds of beings whatsoever, and to gratify the longing of the human mind for universal harmony (maitri sarvabhuteshu), was, at a time, wide-spread all over India, and has left traces everywhere, in the shape of beautiful Temples of the Jainas, some of them being indeed marvels of combined Architecture and Sculpture.
Kings and princes were amongst the followers of Jainism, and whole countries enjoyed a Golden Age under the mild and humane reign of devoted Jain kings, such as Gujarat under Kumarapal, the disciple of the Jain Acharya Hemachandra of world-wide fame. It was only a short time ago, when whole Vaishya-jnatis consisted completely of Jains, such as the preeminent Osval. Srimal, Agreval, Porval, Modh, Nagar and other Jnatis, many of whose members turned Vaishnavas of late, for complicate social and other reasons. But whatever may be, at present, the nominal number of confessors of Jainism, nobody can deny that it is due to the humane influence of Jainism alone, if to-day, vast areas of India, such at Pious Gujarat, Kathiawar, Culch and Marwar, are, in fact, the humanest countries of the world, with their various institutions for protection of animal life, their vegetarian population, and their crowds of white-and yellow-clad Jain Ascetics, in whose footsteps enlightenment
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
