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In this Our Life
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would be called himsa if it is impelled by passions and feelings like attachment, hate and prejudice, if it is due to negligence or carelessness. Such injury is contaminated with feelings. Similarly violence caused or induced with a specific and conscious purpose would be hissa. For instance, negligence brings sin; and the soul is defiled even though there may not be any actual injury to life. On the contrary a careful and a pious man who is not disturbed by passions and who is kind towards animals will not suffer the sin of violence even if by accident, injury is caused to life. 105 We may call this motivation for violence “the mental set” for himsā. This analysis of himsā gives the emphasis on the motive theory of conduct in morality although consequences are not altogether ignored. The utilitarians emphasised that rightness of an action depends on the consequence of the action and not to be determined by the motive. The Jainas have, in a sense, combined the two views, from their Anekānta attitude. One of the conditions of himsā is physical injury to life. But more important than the physical injury is the inner motive. Speaking harsh words is himsā; harbouring evil thoughts is also himsā. However, the inner motive for injury to life does bring its own consequence in the form of accumulation of Karma and the defilement of the soul.
We are, thus, saved from the avoidable fear of defiling our souls due to violence for which we may not be really responsible nor even aware of.
The fear and the suffering due to fear of causing injury to living beings, are further reduced by the specific injunctions of the scriptures. According to the Jaina Sāstras the practice of the vow of Ahińsā is to be graded in two levels. On the higher level are the ascetics, men who have renounced the world. On the lower level are the persons who still pursue the things of this world.
105. Pravacanas dra by Kundakundácårya, 3. 17.
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