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propounded and translated into conduct in accordance with the scriptural teachings.
Not to indulge in violence is one of the meanings of non-violence. Generally some thinkers limit themselves to this negative interpretation of non-violence. Etiologically the word non-violence, the English for ahimsā, is made up of a prefix 'a' to the root word 'himsā' (according to the rule 'na himsā iti ahimsā”). However, the prefix 'a' (nan) is used in more than one sense such as 'absence of', opposite of', 'little of", etc.. In ahimsā 'a' has been used in both the senses of 'absence of', and 'opposite of'. It can be understood by another example of the word 'adharma', which means 'absence of dharma' as well as the 'opposite of dharma'. Adharma certainly means 'absence of dharma', while it also means 'opposite of dharma'. The acts of violence, lying, stealing, etc., which are opposite of religious acts of non-violence, telling the truth and non-stealing, etc., are also considered as irreligious. If someone just takes the first meaning of adharma and limits his views about it as not doing the religious acts and does not accept its second meaning and does not consider the acts of non-violence, telling the truth and non-stealing, etc., as dharma, his view would be considered as lopsided, incomplete and misleading. This view is also upheld by the following second half of the 37th verse of Chapter 20 of the Uttarādhyayana sūtra: -
'Appā mittamamittaṁ ca duppathiya-suppatřhio II?
In this verse the good activities have been said to be the soul's friends and the bad activities as the non-friend. Here, the meaning of non-friend is not limited to not being friend but it, also positively means being a foe. Similarly, the word ahimsā (non-violence) certainly means the absence of hiṁsā (violence) but, at the same time, it also includes the beneficial or virtuous activities of mercy, kindness, compassion, affection, brotherhood, friendship, service, charity, benevolence, etc., which are opposite of himsā or violence. Two Forms of Non-violence -
Every quality has two forms - 1. Positive, and 2. Negative. Take, for example, the great vow of truth. Its negative form is not telling lies
Positive Non-Violence
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