Jaina Path of Ahimsa

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

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SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AHIṀSĀ
As a practical religion Jainism has laid great stress on the observance of five main and seven supplementary vows by its followers in all stages of life. Among these twelve vows, the most fundamental position has been given to the Ahiṁsā-Vrata, i.e., the vow of Ahimsā and it has been convincingly shown that the remaining four main vows, viz., Satya, i.e., the abstention from falsehood, Asteya, i.c., the abstention from stealing, Brahmacharya, i.e., the abstention from unchastity; and Aparigraha, i.c., the abstention from worldly attachments, are nothing but the details of the vow of Ahimsa and that the seven Sila-vratas, i.e., supplementary vows consisting of three Guna-vratas, i.e., multiplicative vows, and four Siksha-vratas. i.e., disciplinary vows, are mere manifestations of the vows of Ahimsa in one form or another. Further, with a view to giving strength to the practice of the vow of Ahimsa, the followers are recommended (i) to cultivate the ten kinds of Dharma, i.e., noble virtues, (ii) to contemplate on the twelve kinds of Anuprekshā, i.e., meditations, (iii) to attempt at conquering twenty two kinds of Parishahas, i.c., sufferings, and (iv) to observe the six kinds of Bahya Tapa, i.e., external austerities and the six kinds of Abhyantara Tapa, i.e., internal austerities. Further-more, along with making the vow of Ahimsa very comprehensive and all-inclusive in character and scope, extreme carefulness in the actual practice of Ahimsa has also been strongly advocated and with this end in view the Jaina scriptures have particularly laid down the five kinds of atichāras, i.e., transgressions, of each of the twelve vows and have specifically enjoined upon the householders to avoid these atichāras so as to make the practice of Ahimsa as faultless as possible. Moreover, eventhough the theoretical dimensions of the vow of Ahimsa in all the aspects were made very wide and the extreme carefulness was insisted on the actual observance of the vow of Ahimsa, still every precaution was taken to see that the vow of Ahimsa can be definitely put into practice in the daily life by the followers of Jainism belonging to both the