Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia, Dev Kothari
Publisher: Kesarimalji Surana Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 1245

24
Karmayogi Śri Kesarīmalji Surāņā Abhinandana Grantha : Seventh Par!
possess only one sense-organ, that of feeling, they have developed intellect and feelings but no limbs etc. Even in the mineral kingdom death is not unknown, which means that metals are also endowed with life. This is amply borne out by the scientific experiments conducted by Prof. J. C. Bose. The fact is that there is no life without consciousness, and no consciousness without life. Hence, where there is life, there is consciousness, whether it be fully manifested or not. Now because the soul is nothing other than consciousness, it further follows wherever there is life there is soul.
In the Acäränga Sútra a lot of stress is laid on the abstension from injury towards these six kinds of beings. It has been repeatedly stated that he who injures these beings will be subjected to bondage, delusion, death and hell. Here it is made clear that they have feeling though their feeling is not manifested. In order to elaborate this point, there is given the simile of a blind man who cannot see the wound as somebody strikes him. It does not mean that he has no feeling of pain but the point is that he cannot see it. Similar is the case with earth-bodies etc., which cannot express their feelings on being struck. So Jainism teaches that injury is sinful in relation to all and should be avoided as much in the case of small beings as in the case of big ones. The Acārānga Sätra has called that person as Parijñātakarma muni who does not act sinfully towards these six kinds of lives, nor causes others to acts so, nor allows others to act so.
The concept of ahiṁsā has two approaches i. e.. (1) positive and (2) negative. Since ahirisa is a negative term, it means non-killing of living beings and the positive side of it emincipates protecting a living being, helping a living being and loving a living being is not connected with the moral principle of ahinsä and therefore has no value in itself. But this should be borne in mind that this positive aspect of ahimsa by way of loving each other is an exclusively important aspect of ahinsa. It is only in this sense that it is an indicator to the active life of the individual. Ahirsa in its real state, is both positive and negative. “Ahimsā is non-hate or absence of hatred, that is, in positive sense sympathy or love." Absence of hatred, promotes love, which is the source of unification of different individuals. Ahimsā is incomplete without the positive counterpart based on love.
Ahirnsis a gigantic powerhouse of Jainism, for it permeates all walks and modes of life of even the Jaina laity. It is this ahims that decides food, drink, dress etc., of the Jaina śrāvakas and frāvikas so that they may not have to restrict their sphere of uhińsä to mankind only but can very well extend it to the vegetation and the like. For laymen this vow is technically called as thūlapānāivāvão viramanam which means abstinence from major violence. So, it makes an allowance for the mild violence unavoidable in household life. But intentional killing of living beings is actually denounced in this vow. Unintentional injury to living beings and killing or punishing of offensive creatures either to oneself or someone related to him is not a violence of this precept. It is presumed that a householder abstains from such violence himself, nor does he order somebody else to commit such violence either through mind, body or speech. But complete cessation from Himsā is prescribed for the Jaina clergy. It is technically called as "Sabbão Pānāivāyāo Veramanari' i.e. complete abstinence from violence. The monks and nuns, since they stand on a higher spiritual platform can commit no act of
1 Acaranga Sutra, 1, 1, 2, 12 2 fbid, 1, 1, 7, 62 3 Upāsakadaśānga Sūtra, 1, 13