________________
From this it should be clear that violence in the first place arises in one's mind as a negative ego-centric emotion or feeling of revenge and then gets translated into expression and action. Violence takes the worst form when the intention gets combined by the actual act of hurting or killing. Only violent intention is also not desirable even though it may not be accompanied by violent action. It is so because it betrays an attitude of ill-intention which creates disharmony and sows the seeds of violent behavior. Without intention to kill or hurt, if violent action occurs, it may be accidental like a patient dying in an operation performed by the doctor with the noble intention of curing him. When there is both no intention as well as no action to hurt or kill, it is a very aggreable situation away from violence. Violence can, thus, be (1) Intentional (Sankalpi), (2) At work (Udyogi), (3) Initial in process of construction (Aarambhi), and (4) In defence (Suraksha). Intentional violence is worst. At work. it may be unavoidable type, like a tiller tilling the land and in the process several life forms getting destroyed. However, morality requires it to be kept to the minimum unavoidable. In defence violence is justified, but here again effort should be to keep it within limits for achieving one's aim of defence. The sum and substance of the detailed exposition of different forms of violence is to guide the people to restrict violence to the bare minimum, and never have the intention to indulge in it. If the culture of nonviolence and a compassionate attitude gets developed in an individual or society, violence shrinks. In order to provide a solid and substantive base to strengthening non-violence culture, Jain religion provides scientific biological facts about all living organisms in order to work for their due protection. Besides humans, animals, birds and plants, there are one-sensed living elements like earth bodies (Prithvikaya), Air bodies (Vayu kaya), (3) Water bodies (Jalkaya), Fire bodies (Agnikaya) and Vegetations (Vanaspatikaya). There are also a variety of two-sensed, three-sensed, four-sensed and five-sensed creatures.
100
A Portrait of Jain Religion
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
