Jainism Some Essays

Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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Jainism
the killing which is done through the careless activity (of mind, speech and body) is violence. This is corroborated by the advice given to the monks with reference to their behaviour in the world, the smallest part of which is inhabited by innumerable living beings and so it was impossible to live without killing any living-being. The question was asked -"How should (a monk) walk, stand, sit and lie down? In what manner shall he eat and speak in order that he may not bind evil karman? "The answer is this-He should walk, stand, sit, and lic down carefully; if he eats and speaks carefully, he does not bind evil karman. Evil karman does not attach itself to a man who identifies himself with all bcing (and by this) looks on the beings in the right manner, who has closed the doors of 'influence' and is content”.6 Schubring : Dasave yāliya 6. (7-9.)
From all these Jaina canonical texts one thing is clear that one should identify himself with others and should try as far as possible not to harm any body with the intention of harming and should live in this world in such a way that one may kill the other living beings with the kind feeling for them and only when it is unavoidable. With this view of non-violence in their mind the propagators of non-violence have first tried to find out for what purpose the people resorted to killing of the living beings. They have noted that people resort to killing with no purpose at all. When we read the Ācārārga it is clear that for various purposes or without any there was killing of all types of living beings. In daily life the use of earth, water, fire, wind etc. was there without any sense of violence. For the purpose of food and drink and even for the religious ceremony the killing of living beings was allowed. Only for the sake of game and pleasure the performance of violence is noted in the Acārārga. War was also one of the cause of violence. When Lord Mabāvira noted all these type of violence he renounced the world and took only such food, shelter etc. what was not prepared for him and that also only when there was utter necessity. He made a rule not to accept or shelter etc. in which the killing of any living being, for his sake, was involved. As a general rule he was not in favour of accepting the meat, fish or wine. In this way he became an example of non-violent life, and then he propagated the non-violence in daily life to the people of East India, and was really responsible for propagation of religion rooted in
6. kahań care kaham citthe kaham āse kaham sae
kaham bhujanto bhāsanto Pavam kammam na bandhai (7) jayaṁ care jayam citthe jayam āse jayaṁ sae, jayari bhumjanto bhāsanto pāvam kammań na bandhai (8) savva- bhūyappa- bhūyassa sammam bhūyāi pāsao, pihiāsavasso dantassa pāvam kammam na bandhai (9)