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fire. It does involve more himsã/violence, in form of additional disturbance to fire-bodied life, as well as airbodied life. As per above deductions, use of agni-kãya should normally be avoided by householders. However, on cloudy-days, when sun is not available in the morning hours, and where efficacy of some dhovana-making process is doubtful (though seldom), this practice may be
resorted to. (iv) In above techniques and processes, some important aspects, of
our 'Intentions/Purpose' and “Quantity” are also involved. The intention is to
Minimize the consumption and eliminate waste, and b) To minimize the impact of life-disturbing activity. This is explained in detail as below.
One drop of living-water (Sachitta-water), it is known, contains 'innumerable' water bodied living-beings. They exist in a state of continuous birth and death cycle. In an open position, we become the cause for their life and death for all the water stored in our tanks and pots because of our attachment with it. Just imagine their numbers. It is “innumerable” in just one drop! That too, their deaths, occurring every moment are solely due to us.
However, if we budget our requirement and limit the quantity for making dhovana or for boiling, we are responsible for himsã of that much limited quantity only. The intention of shrãvaka is to avoid killing of innumerable number of lives and strive to limit it consciously with a feeling of compassion.
Moreover, by same reasoning, we find that once the water is made non-living, that water remains devoid of water-bodied life for a period of say 8 hours. As such the deaths occurring every second in living-water are avoided for that period. Thus 'himsã' is minimized to a great extent by these operations. The himsã in 'boiling' the water may still be far less than that occurring in innumerable life-cycles of stored live-water, in 10-12 hrs. The boiled water, we know, remains non-living for more than 10 hrs. Our emotion of Karunã (compassion) is reinforced due to this act.
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