Positive Non Violence

Author(s): Kanhaiyalal Lodha, Dalpatsingh Baya
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 14

PUBLISHER'S NOTE
Non-violence or Ahimsa is the main identity of Jainism. It is its over-arching principle. Its significance has been highlighted by other Indian religious traditions as well. For example in Mahābhārata, Bhishma had hailed Ahimsa or Non-violence as “Parmo Dharma" or the 'ultimate religion'.
Non-violence or Ahimsa has both positive and negative connotations, which have equally to be kept in view. However, many Jain scholars and thinker-preceptors have used the term ‘Non-violence' or Ahimsa mostly in a negative or proscriptive manner alone. Philosophically, this approach amounts to half-truth and is also misleading. Indeed, it detracts from the principal of Non-violence or Ahimsa. On the practical level too, ascribing such a negative meaning to Non-violence or Ahimsa, has done immense harm by encouraging a de-humanized code of human conduct.
Albert Schweitzer, a Nobel laureate, known for his matchless service to humanity and great learning, wrote a book titled 'Indian Philosophical Thought while he was living in the deep forests of Congo in Africa. In spite of his belonging to Christian denomination, he liberally praised Jainism for its great contribution in the form of Non-violence or Ahimsa. Indeed, according to him the development of the concept of Non-violence or Ahimsa by Jainism is one of the most important events in the world history of spiritual and philosophical thought. However, he noticed that this noble principle of Jainism was presented in a negative form. Apparently he came across only such Jain works