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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision one yoni (existence) today; it may be in another yoni tomorrow. It may be a fly today and a man tomorrow. This being so, man has no right to harm non-human living beings even. One should behave sympathetically with all-friends as well as enemies. Such is the importance of Ahimsa in Jain philosophy.
तुंगं न मंदराओ, आगासाओ किसालयं नथि ।
जह तह जयंमि जाणसु, घम्ममहिंसासमं नत्थि ।। [Nothing is higher than the Meru Mountain; nothing is vaster than the sky. Similarly, there is no religion as good as Ahimsa.]
Another great vow is truth. I will not practise untruth, I will not make someone practise untruth and I will not help someone practising untruth. It is said in Prashnavyakarana that truth is God. It is said in Acharanga Sutra that the wise person, who obeys truth, conquers death. The human heart experiences truth. Mahavira's life was governed by experience which was the fruit of his own austerity. That is why he says if we ought to believe in his word, it is not because he is omniscient; every soul can attain that status if it practises true austerity - this is his preaching, Bhagwan Mahavira himself could attain the status of Tirthankara only after his austerity of the previous 27 bhavas (modes of existence) followed by his penance of twelve and a half years. So, he preached that we should be always watchful and abstain from untruth. He, who tells a lie, is never trusted. You should be careful to see that you do not speak untruth. One should speak things which are free from shortenings, and speak only when necessary. Harsh language should be avoided. Regarding a nirgrantha (monk), he said, "The nirgrantha will speak thoughtfully because if he speaks unthoughtfully, untruth may be spoken. He will abandon
Non-Violence : A Way of Life anger, for in anger he may tell a lie. He will abandon greed, for untruth may be spoken out of greed. He will abandon fear, for untruth may be spoken out of fear. He will abandon joking and mocking, for untruth may be spoken for fun."
Think of him who is so much concerned about truth. Neither fire can burn him nor water can drown him who speaks the truth. Jain philosophy has thought comprehensively about truth. To insist that what you speak is the only truth is a sort mental himsa. The generous view that there can be a grain of truth in what the other persons say, is anekantadrishti, for truth is relative. As you have full faith in what is truth from your viewpoint, so the other person has faith in what is truth from his point-of-view. Thus anekantavada equally tolerates and coordinates all viewpoints of life, in a spirit of co-operation. This is the true method involving ceaseless endeavour to search out truth. To regard everything from a relative point-of-view and to see an element of truth in everything - this is anekantavada. Not 'mine is truth' but truth is mine' should be our motto.
Bhagwan Mahavira's life is full of incidents showing that 'truth is mine'. It was he, who sent his chief disciple, the enlightened Gautama, to Shravaka Ananda to ask for his pardon. In those days numerous disputes had arisen. In order to prove his contention to be true, everyone was trying to refute the contentions of others. Bhagwan Mahavira taught us to support rather than refute the views of others.
He said, "Only if you make your unilateral view multilateral, the veil covering your vision will be removed and you will have a clear and unmistakable view of pure truth." Thus Bhagwan Mahavira tried to quench the fire of
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