Jaina Path of Ahimsa

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir Research Centre

Page 31

The Jaina Path Of Ahimsā
Bāhya Himsā' relates to the external or actual acts of killing or injury and 'Antargata Himsā' relates to the internal or intentional side of committing of injury.
(4) Himsa : "Vyavahara’ Point of view
The concept of Hirsā has been discussed in detail in the Jaina scriptures both from the 'Vyavahāra Naya', i.e., the practical point of view and from the ‘Nischaya Naya', i.e., the real point of view.
From the practical point of view the 'Tattvarthasutra', the classic Jaina text, has defined Himsā as follows.
YHTETICE MUTARTOUTH PÉRIT || 7/13 that is, Himsā or injury is the hurting of the vitalities by passional vibrations. It means that Hirsā or injury is to hurt the Prāņas, i.e., the vitalities, through Pramattayoga, i.e., vibration due to the passions which agitate mind, body or speech.
On the same lines, another classic Jaina Text, viz., 'Purushānha siddhi-upāya' asserts that passion is the moving cause which leads to Hirsā and gives the meaning of Himsā in following terms:
यत्खलु कषाययोगात् प्राणानां द्रव्यभावरूपाणाम्।
व्यपरोपणस्य कारणम् सुनिश्चिता भवति सा हिंसा ।। 4/43 that is, any injury whatsoever to the material or conscious vitalities caused through passionate activity of mind, body or speech is assuredly Himsā.
(5) Himsā : Nischaya' Point of view
From the Nischaya, i. e., real point of view the act of injury, i. e., Hirsā, is related to the internal aspects or to the intentional side of injury and it is stated that Himsā is caused even when passions to hurt others arise in the mind. That is why, the essence of Hirisā and Ahinsa, according to the Jaina scriptures, has been clearly put forward in the authoritative text of 'Purushārthasiddhizpāya' in the following terms.
अप्रादुर्भाव. खलु रागादीनां भवत्यहिंसेति । domatrafor fertfa fetaPTARI SU: 11 4/44
that is, “Assuredly, the non-appearance of attachment and other passions is Alirsā, and their appearance is Hirsā. This is the summary of the Jaina scripture”.