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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
which is of the form of non-violence is much superior to the bodily or physical strength which is considered to be an animal strength. Human society achieves progress-religious, spiritual and even material—in proportion to the cultivation of this strength. The strength of non-violence is the light of intellectual discretion and mental purity. And with this strength, the world of human beings can become rich in friendliness, sympathy, love, spiritualness, happiness and bliss.
Non-violence is a spiritual power. Noble bravery or heroism demands self-sacrifice. To sacrifice one's self-interests and even one's life-if the need be-while resisting violence and supporting and fostering non-violence is the bravery of high order. To oppose violence only verbally and to run away out of fear when one is required to face and endure physical sufferings and torture, is really not the practice of non-violence. In spite of his having courage and strength to fight, the person who controls his passion and excitement on the passion-rousing and exciting occasions and does not yield to violence is the true practiser of non-violence. Coward and weak men's claim to the practice of non-violence is wrong. It is because they have no courage and strength to oppose the violent person or mob. So, though outwardly they are not doing any violent overt activity, their weak minds are burning with feelings of violence, rage, wrath and fury. The weak mind of a weak person gets easily overcome by the feeling of violence even at the slightest cause. The saying 'the less the strength, the more is the anger' is quite right. A weak man unnecessarily yields to passion and fury, every now and then. One who wants to practise nonviolence properly and rightly should have, in addition to right understanding, mental strength and courage; and for the attainment of mental strength and courage one should cultivate and gain bodily or physical strength also. How great the value of bodily strength is! Bodily strength is very useful. It is needed to save the innocent people from the cruel attacks of tyrants, rioters and the wicked enemies through brave counterattack and confrontation. It is useful in saving the people from the oppression of the wicked just as it is useful in crushing the wickedness of the wicked. For the internal non-violence of the form of keeping the mind calm and unagitated, this strength is as much needed as for the external non-violence of the form of protecting the people. This is the reason why it is held that strong mind resides in the strong body. It is easy to gain mental strength when one has gained the bodily or physical strength.
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