Perspectives in Jaina Philosophy and Culture

Author(s): Satish Jain, Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Ahimsa International

Page 70

The Positive Content in the Concept of Non-Violence
Dr. M. M
Kotharı
All religions prescribe certain dos and don'ts which constitute the positive and negative aspects of their ethical base The injunctions to act in certain matters in certain definite ways are to be scrupulously adhered to in the conduct of their followers However, more important than the dos are the don'ts Doing things which are forbidden is sinful This invites punishment at cosmic level here or hereafter
The doctrine of non-violence, which has a very important place in some religions, particularly Jainism, contains a number of such don'ts The critics have often dubbed it as a negative doctrine, a mere bundle of don'ts, lacking in positive content
Etymologically considered, non-violence means the negation of violence Thus, so far as the form of the concept is concerned, it is apparently a doctrine of negative injunctions In order to understand what is non-violence, we have first to be quite clear as to what constitutes violence, so that non-violence would mean all that is the negation of what we mean by violence If people differ in their understanding of what constitutes violence, they are bound to differ in their notions of what constitutes non-violence And this would in turn affect their theory and practice of non-violence
The doctrine of non-violence can be found in some form or the other in every religion But nowhere has it assumed a form given to it in Jainism In its most comprehensive sense which Jamism has given, violence means the causing of death, injury, pain, suffering or sorrow to any living being by thought, word or deed, and non-violence means the negation of all such acts
Jainism, from its very inception, proclaimed that life (Jiva or soul) exists even at micro-levels, in infinitesimally small organisms invisible to the naked eye as well as in the larger vegetable, animal and human organisms We are surrounded by billions of such Jivas and every action that causes injury to any Jiva is returned to the person who inflicts that injury