________________
2.
Enmity is such a deadly poison that hits the head and affects and destroys its softest feelings and produces imbalance and disorder, which spoils the health. In the fire of animosity the creative faculties of the brain are burnt away and leave it without any creative powers. A person with such weak heart cannot make any great contribution and spends his life in trivial pursuits. To harm one who has harmed us is like biting one that has bitten us. This is the dog instinct and not that of a gentleman. This is the animal instinct and not human instinct. The human instinct shows itself in friendship and not in animosity. A human being wins over animosity with friendship and maltreatment with good treatment because he knows that the fire of animosity cannot be doused by pouring the kerosene of animosity but only by pouring the water of friendship. The main reason behind seeing others' flaws is that we measure others' actions by our standards and consider them as inviolable. Anyone who considers his own standards as the best, expects that entire world must follow them. Anyone that rejects or does not follow his standards is considered as a bad or a flawed person. However, the principle of many-ended reasoning says that everyone is guided by his own wisdom and powers and lives his life according to his own standards. Therefore, it is the lack of discretion that is to blame, which is not acceptable even to him and, so, he is entitled to our forgiveness and not to aversion and punishment. The truth of the matter is that between the saint and the criminal there is only the difference of stages of virtues to which one has developed at that time. The saint of that time might have been a criminal at some time in the past and the criminal of that time could have been a saint at another time in the past. In the stages of development the sinner is like a child and the saint is like an old man. Therefore, to hate the sinner is like hating the innocent, disobedient and playful children who will keep committing mistakes. It is neither logical nor justified.
Positive Non-Violence
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
