Jaina Mysticism and Other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 67

Now it may be asked how does Jaina ethics arrive at Ahimsā in defining 'Subha'? What is its meaning?
Presuppositions of Ahimsā : (1) - Ahiṁsā presupposes, first , a world of living beings, both human and non-human, along with the fact that each of them is constantly affecting the other and is being affected by the other either evenly or unevenly. Secondly, Ahiṁsā presumes that life is dear to all!2 and for all living beings pain is disturbance, fearful and unpleasant!3. This is also expressed by saying that just as pain is unpleasant for oneself, so also it is unpleasant for all living beings 14. Thus without these two presuppositions the talk of Ahiṁsā is inconceivable.
But these two presuppositions are psychological in nature and the statement of Ahiṁsā is evaluative in nature. The former are factual or descriptive assertions, while the latter is a normative or a value-assertion. Does this mean that value-assertions can be derived from factual assertions, ethical conclusions can be drawn from non-ethical premises, fought can be derived from 'is'? I simply wish to say that for the Jinist-Ahiṁsā is not a logical deduction from the above mentioned presuppositions : it is an independent occurring in the context of the stated presuppositions. Had it been a deduction like the angles of a triangle as equal to two right angles, the whole of mankind would have understood Ahimsā immediately. Thus though the Jinist maintains the autonomy of normative ethical discourse by maintaining the distinction between facts and values, yet it holds that there is some connection between fact and value. Though the two, fact and value, are no doubt distinct, yet they are not unrelated to each other. The relation is not of entailment but is empirical. 'Life is dear to all' does not entail 'we ought not to kill life' but at the same time it can not be said that there is no connection between the two. The connection is empirical, not logical.
:- Meaning of Ahimsā : (1) Comprehensive meaning of Ahimsā : The oldest Jaina Āgama Āyāro (Ācārānga) remarkably pronounces that none of the living beings ought to be killed, ought to be ordered, ought to be enslaved, ought to be distressed
60
Jaina Mysticism and other essays