Jainism the Creed for All Times

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 99

The Ideal Of Non-violence -
Non-violence has been defined at two levels – volitional and practical. While it is perfectly possible to attain completely non-violent attitude, in practice it is well nigh impossible to achieve its ideal perfection, which means not hurting even a single vitality of any - even the finest one-sensed living beings. However, it must be appreciated that even in practice the amount of violence that anybody indulges is directly proportional to the amount of physical facilities he indulges in. It implies that reducing one's sensory indulgence will also proportionately reduce violence and make one non-violent to that extent. From this we can conclude that the ascetics who enjoy minimal physical facilities commit minimal violence and amongst the lay people, too, those who lead an indulgent life are guilty of greater violence as compared to those that lead frugal lives. It follows that as long as we live an embodied corporeal life it is possible to avoid gross violence only and impossible to abstain from fine violence. For the corporeal existence complete and perfect non-violence is impracticable and remains only an unfulfilled ideal.
Here, it is worthy of comment that although the Jaina monks and nuns themselves lead reasonably non-violent lives, the amount of violence perpetrated in their names is substantial. If we take the examples of a large number of people walking with them from place to place when they go about their monastic peregrinations or a large number of people travelling long distances for gaining their glimpses and then setting up kitchens so that they may earn the merit of giving alms to them or undertaking the constructions of frivolous temples and prayer halls, at their behest, while simple ones will serve the purpose as well if not better.
We can conclude this discussion by saying that while it is not possible to avoid the minimal violence towards the fine
AHIMSĀ (NON-VIOLENCE) : 71