Book Title: Jainism And Its History
Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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Page 250
________________ he is committed to the security of family members and their belongings. It will not be possible for him to resist not-violently with success. Only a man, unattached to his body and material objects, his heart free from malice, can protect his rights non-violently. A nonviolent opposition only may be fruitful against an enemy with human heart. So far as occupational violence is concerned everyone cannot shake it off. For so long as a person has to earn his livelihood and to seek fulfillment of his physical needs, deliberate violence of vegetable kingdom is unavoidable. In Jainism intentional violence to mobile animals by a house-holder has been forbidden even when it becomes necessary for the maintenance of life and occupation. Undoubtedly one or other form of violence is inevitable in our life, but on this basis, we cannot take decision that the observance of non-violence is of no use in the present. Just as violence is inevitable in the world for living, nonviolence is also inevitable for the very existence of human race. So far as the existence of human society is concerned it depends on mutual co-operation, sacrifice of one's interest in the interest of his fellow-beings and regard for other's life. If above mentioned elements are essential for our social life, how can we say that non-violence is not necessary for human life. Society does not stand on violence but on non-violence, not on fulfillment of self-interest but on sacrifice of self-interest, not accepting our own rights but accepting the rights of others as our duty. Thus, we can say that the non-violence is an inevitable principle of the existence for human society. At present we are living in age of nuclear weapons and due to this the existence of human race is in danger. At present it is only the observance of non-violence, which can save the human race. It is mutual credibility and the belief in the Jainism and its History 248

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