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[15] On The Path of Cause Ahimsa
293
294
Pratikraman
Questioner: I cry from within that I have done so many bad deeds. I think of that every day and I can see them.
Dadashri: Make it lighter by doing pratikraman. You should have asked someone before you did all that, should you not?
Questioner: But I did not find anyone then.
Dadashri: You should have asked someone at home or in your village.
Questioner: At home, our practice of killing them still continues.
Dadashri: Is that so? Both of you together?
Questioner: I killed them my way and she killed them her way.
Dadashri: Were you killing two hundred to five hundred a day?
Questioner: Yes. We would kill however many there were. But we have not killed since we met Dada.
Causal and Effect Violence Questioner: Are the consequences of violence in effect' (dravya himsa) and 'causal seed of violence' (bhaav himsa) the same?
Dadashri: Causal seed of himsa cannot be seen because it is subtle. Only effect himsa (dravya; violence) is visible; it can be experienced through mind, speech and body. In causal (bhaav) violence, there is subtle intent of violence present, whereas in the effect (dravya) violence, it is evident in front of you. When you say that, 'I want to save living beings,' it is called intent of non-violence (bhaav ahimsa). Thereafter, you are not responsible whether this occurs or not. If you say that life is worth preserving and thereafter, if violence occurs, then you are not responsible for it. Nevertheless, you should repent and do pratikraman. Doing this eliminates the liability. (278)
Special Pratikraman for the Farmers
Questioner: I have read in your book the prayer which says, "Through this mind, speech and body, let me not hurt, even to the slightest degree, any living entity.' I am a farmer and I grow tobacco. While the plants are growing, I should constantly pinch off new tender leaves from the stalks. Would that not hurt the plant? Is that not a paap (sin, demerit karma)? We do this to thousands of our plants! How can we put an end to this wrongful act?
Dadashri: You should feel repentance for the act. You should repent and feel, 'Why has this painful task fallen upon me? That is all. You can continue with your work then. Intemally, you are repenting that it is not your wish to do this.
Questioner: Yes, but are we still committing a sin?
Dadashri: Yes, it is a sin. But you should not concern yourself with that. Do not look at the sinful act. Just commit to the decision that things should not be the way they are. Stand
Dadashri: You should not have a single thought about killing. If you cannot tolerate the insects, take them outside. The Tirthankars eliminated the word 'kill' from common usage, because it is laden with liability and risk. That is how non-violent (ahimsak) one should become. One should not have a single atom of violence. Thoughts about killing are laden with violent subatomic particles. Each and every atom of your body should be completely ahimsak.
Questioner: Otherwise, will change of becoming nonviolent occur in the intent?
Dadashri: Yes. No one should be hurt in the slightest, because no one at all is at fault in this world.
