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Jaina Theory and Practice of Non-violence
of which is inhabited by innumerable living beings and so it was imposslble to live without killing any living-being. The question was asked “How should (a monk) walk, stand, sit and lie down ? In what manner shall he eat and speak in order that he may not bind evil karman ? “The answer is this - He should walk, stand, sit, and lie down carefully; If he eats and speaks carefully, he does not bind evil karman. Evil karman does not attach itself to a man who identifies himself with all beings (and by this) looks on the beings in the right manner, who has closed the doors of 'influence and is content". Schubring. Dasaveyaliya 6. (7-9.)
From all these faina canonical texts one thing is clear that one should identify himself with others and should try as far as possible not to harm any body with the intention of harming and should live in this world in such a way that one may kill the other living beings with the kind feeling for them and only when it is unavoidable. With this view of nonviolence in their mind the propagators of non-violence have first tried to find out for what purpose the people resorted to killing of the living beings. They have noted that people resort to killing with no purpose at all. When we read the Acaranga it is clear that for various purposes or without any there was killing of all types of living beings. In daily life the use of carth, water, fire, wind etc. was there without any sense of violence. For the purpose of food and drink and even for the religlous ceremony the killing of living beings was allowed. Only for the sake of game and pleasure the performance of violence is noted in the Acaranga. War was also one of the cause of violence. When Lord Mahavira noted all these types of violence he renounced the world and took only such food, shelter etc. what was not prepared for him and that also only when there was utter neccessity. He made a rule not to accept any food or shelter etc. in which the killing of any living being, for his sake, was involved. As a general rule he was not in favour of accepting the meat, fish or wine. In this way he became an example of 003-violent life, and then he propagated the non-violence in daily life to the people of East India, and was really responsible for propagation of religion rooted in non-violence. So we find that the Jaina religion is described as a religion rooted in non-violence.?
6. kahain care kaham citthe kahan ase kahan sae
kaham bhumjanto bhāsanto pavam kamniam na bandhar 1/7/1 jayam care jayam clfthe jayam ase jayam sae Jayan bhuijanto bhāsanto pāyam kamman na bandhar //8/1 savva-bhūyappa-bhūyassa samman bhūyai pasao
pthtasavassa dantassa pāyam kammam na bandhar // 9 || 7. So ya ahimsāmūlo : dhammo Jlyarāgadosamohehim
bhanio jinehl .................. Puspamala, gatha-3.
