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History records that these highly cultured, nonviolent oude and elevated souls were respected and highly venerated by monarchs and the common men alike. The great grand-father of king Asoka called Chandra Gupta Maurya had become a nude Jain monk The act of subjugating inner passions and carnal cravings in not an easy affair. Poet Tagore's remarks made in his lectures in America are very significant, "In this natural world with the help of science man is turning the forces of nature into obedience. But in this moral world he has a harder task to accomplish. He has to turn his own passions and desires from tyranny into obedience." (Personality P. 90). Such non-violent saints enjoy the beauties and sublimitics of the inner world. He sports in the Self, delights in the Self; for he has to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven hidden within.
Those souls who are spiritually and mentally weak lead the life of house-holders and discharge their duties with a compassionate outlook. Jainism has not taken an extreme and one-sided view of Ahimsa for a layman. It has classified it into various stages according to the mental make up and environments of the adherent. Even the use of weapons has not always been wholly condemned or discarded on the occasion of safe-guarding and maintaining the dignity of Law and Justice, against the aggressive and vindictive measures of the culprits in the absence of some other better way and make it impossible for the miscreants to disturb the smooth and peaceful working of the society.
