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GENTLENESS
Uvasameņa haņe kohań, māņam maddavayā jiņe! Māyam ca'jjavabhāveņas, lobham santosao jine ||
- Daśavaikālika sūtra, 8.39. That is - Destroy the anger with subsidence, win over pride with gentleness, conquer guile by guilelessness and conquer greed through contentment.
Uttamaḥ kṣamāmārdavārjavaśaucasatyasamyamatapastyāgākiñcanyabrahmacaryāņi dharmaḥ |
- Tattvārtha sūtra, 9.8. That is - Noble forgiveness, noble gentleness, noble simplicity, noble cleanliness, noble truth, noble restraint, noble penance, noble renunciation, noble nothingness (lack of pride) and noble celibacy are ten manifestations of noble faith or Uttama dharma.
Thus, in Jainism, ten manifestations of a noble faith have been mentioned amongst types of means of karmic stoppage. One of these is gentleness or mildness. This aspect of a noble faith can be gained only through giving up pride or haughtiness. As has been said, “Kularūvajādibuddhisu tava-sudasīlesu gāravam kiñci jo ņavi kuvvadi samaņo mādava-dhammam have tassa" – Bhagavati Ārādhanā, 49/154.
Positive Non-Violence
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