Pearls of Jaina Wisdom

Author(s): Dulichand Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 20

[ XVIII ]
Dhammapada, kindness towards all beings ( metta ), non-violence ( ahiṁsā ) and many more ethical doctrines are found. But the Jainas emphasize the doctrine of non-violence in a more rigorous way than the Buddhists. Because of the non-killing, Jainism stresses far more on asceticism and all manner of cult exercises than Buddhism.
Coming to Jainism we can say that the doctrine of ahimsā has gained a ground in philosophy. In the Āgama texts the nature of ahimsā is generally descriptive. At a much later time the glorification was turned into a philosophy. For example, in the Daśavaikālika-sūtra, it is said :
dhammo mamgalamukkittham ahimsā samjamo tavo. devā vi tas namaṁ samti jassa dhamme sayā mano.
-
1.1
"Non-killing, controlling of mind and penance are the best and excellent dharma, even the gods bow down their heads to those who are the followers of this religion.”
This has a parallel in the Dhammapada ( 19.6 ): yashi saccaṁ ca dhammo ca ahimsā samyamo damo. sa ve vantamalo dhiro so thero iti pavuccati.
"He in whom rests truth, virtue, non-violence, restraint and control, he who is free from impurity and is wise, he is called an
elder."6
On the question of restraint, Mahāvīra says : tesiṁ acchanajocna niccas hoyavvayaṁ siyā. maņasā kāya-vakkeņa evaņ havai samjaye.
- I. VII. 3 "Towards all these animals one must always and constantly be non-injurious even in mind, body and speech, then he is called a restrained person."
6. S. Radhakrishnan, The Dhammapada, Oxford, 1954, p. 141.