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Religion and Non-Violence
A religionist who is possessed of carefulness
should wander about, giving not offence to any creature. Having mastered the Law, and got rid of carelessness,
he should treat all beings as he himself would be treated." All beings hate pain; therefore, one should not kill them.
Not to kill anything is the quintessence of wisdom. Know this to be the legitimate conclusion
from the principle of the reciprocity With regard to non-killing.
He should cease to injure living beings; For, this has been called the liberation
which consists in peace.? A man should wander about treating all creatures
as he himself would be treated. Jaina non-violence encompasses all creatures; human beings, animals and even the smallest invisible living beings. The implied non-violence is both, physical and metaphysical. In the Achárānga-sútra, the first vow reads: 'I renounce all killing of living beings, whether subtile or gross, whether mobile or immobile. Neither shall I myself kill living beings nor cause others to do it or consent to it. As long as I live.... [I will observe this rule] in mind, speech and body. If one acts carelessly, moved by the influence of passions, there himsā (violence) certainly arises before him whether a living being is killed or not, because under the influence of passions, the person first injures the Self through the self; whether there is subsequently an injury caused to another being or not. A true Jaina should do nothing to hurt the feelings of another man, woman or child.
Furthermore, all the ethical principles of Jainism are also based upon non-violence. Thus, speaking truth is necessary because by telling lies one commits verbal violence and injures the feelings of another person. In like manner, stealing somebody's property amounts to violence because the person, whose property is stolen, is mentally injured. A person who
1 Kritānga-sūtra, 1.10.1.3. 21bid, 1.11,9,10,11. 3 Ibid, 1.11.33. 4 Achārānga-sūtra, II.15.1.1. (SBE, XXII).
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