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pay.' In other words, one who performs evil deeds such as violence,etc, will earn sin on the maxim that as you sow, so shall you reap. But Jainism goes one step ahead and says that even if a man may not be indulging in the practice of killing the living beings at the present moment but if he is intent on it then also sin acrues to him. Intent on it means that he has not pledged to give up violence etc. totally, that is, he has not stopped being affected by the thought of violence,etc, but has a mind that is free to practice it. Such a man cannot be said to have vowed to shed violence. This is a sin.
Now the question arises as to why a man, who, although he doesnot practice violence eto. yet he has not taken a pledge to cease from it should be said to be earning sins ?
The resolution of this question is that if he does not practice violence etc. then why does he not pledge to give up violence altogether ? It can be said that the man in question does not take a pledge in regard to violence etc, to keep himself free to practice it, if the occasion arises, although he doesnot practice it,at the present moment. Now this attitude of non-committment is evil and it is affected by an evil tendency. Hence his soul is bound by sin and guilt to that extent. To escape this tendency one should be pledged or committed to renounce sinful activities altogether. Thus for example, although the living beings such as the trees and vegetables do not indulge in sin,yet, they are not considered great souls as they do not attain salvation. This is simply because they have not
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