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killing and (4) neither the act of killing and nor the will, though apparently it seems an act of hurting.
In Jainism, violence not only involves the killing or causing harms to other beings but it is also related to our ownself. To hurt the vitalities of other beings is called Para-Himsa, i.e. violence of others while to entertain impure thought activity or ill-will is the violence towards our ownself. Impure thought activity or ill-will injures the real nature of this soul by disturbing its equanimity. The evil thought activity vitiates the purity and equanimity of the soul hence called Svahimsa i.e. violence of our ownself. This violence of our ownself is more than the violence of others, because the later may only be possible when former had taken place.
Generally, we cannot kill or cause harm to others without impure thought activity or ill-will i.e. the violence towards others implies the violence of our ownself. Bhaktaparijna mentions “killing of other beings is killing one's ownself and compassion for others is the compassion for one's ownself.” Thus, will is the mother of activity. Ill-will causes sinful activity. The violence towards others can only be committed after committing violence towards one's ownself.
Ācārānga says, "He, who ignores or negates other beings, ignores or negates one's ownself. He whom you wish to kill or control or on whom you wish to inflict suffering is yourself.” We cannot kill or harm other without killing our ownself i.e. without vitiating our equanimity, the real nature of ourself. It is the attachment and hatred which make violence possible. In the state of equanimity i.e. non-attachment and non-hatred, commission of violence is impossibe.
Thus, passions necessarily lead to the violence of our ownself as well as to otherselves. Ācārya Amrtacandra in his famous work
Jainism and its History 244
