Light of Nonviolence

Author(s): Sushilmuni
Publisher: Vishwa Ahimsa Sangh Delhi

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lessness, like a crossing-maker or hero. At least this is the ideal although few ever claimed that it would be easy to achieve.
Jainism like Buddhism and some other world religions claim that everyone is capable of becoming enlightened or liberated from suffering. In Jainism, it is our internal response to the jiva-ajiva struggles of the world that condemns us to conflict. This condition, in turn, gives rise to further violence, suffering, and unconscious projection. Thus we are caught in a vicious circle of our own making. The obvious way out is to awaken to the perfection of jiva and choose it over ajiva. But we are unable to fully do this completely or totally owing to the prior conditions and complexities of existence.
Nonhuman animals do not have the luxury of Selfconsciousness. They do not realize that they are really free beings. All that they experience is contingent circumstances, physical things, and the momentary play of sensation, emotion, and instinct. In a word, nonhuman animals are not as intelligent, free or conscious as human beings and thus we have a moral responsibility to protect them from injury, pain, and suffering. The same ethical principle applies to trees, plants, and the whole Earth.
In the human world, our first responsibility is towards each other. We must not think ill of other human beings and love others as we love ourselves. Again, this is easier said than done given the dynamics of existence.
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