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is so central in Jainism that it may be incontrovertibly called the beginning and the end of Jaina religion. The statement of Samantabhadra that Ahiṁsā of all living beings is equivalent to the realisation of Parama Brahma sheds light on the paramount character of Ahiṁsā.67 The Sūtrakstānga exhorts us to regard Ahiṁsā as the quintessence of wisdom.68 Since Nirvāṇa is not other than Ahiṁsā, one should cease to injure all living beings.69 The Ācārānga pronounces that one should neither deprive any living being of life, nor rule over him, nor torment him, nor excite him. This is tantamount to saying that Ahiṁsā is the pure and eternal Dharma.?! Since all the selves from the one-sensed to the five-sensed selves are transcendentally alike, 72 killing the 'other' is killing one's own self, ruling the other is ruling one's own self, enslaving the other is enslaving one's own self, distressing the other is distressing one's own self, and disquieting the other is disquieting one's own self. By reason of this, Hiṁsā of all the living beings has been abandoned by those desirous of selfrealisation." The Atman which is Apramatta is Ahimsā and the Atman which is Pramatta is Hirsā.74 Amstacandra in the Puruşārthasiddhyupāya holds that the apperance of any sort of passion on the surface of self is Hiṁsā, and the self in its pure form is Ahiṁsā." This pronouncement has a deep inward reference and regards Ahiṁsā as a spiritual value. This method of dealing with Ahimsā obliges us to peep into oneâs own inner life, so that attachment and aversion along with their ramifications like anger, pride, deceit and greed are completely got rid of. The Praśnavyākarana Sūtra designates Ahiṁsā as Nirvana (nivvāņa), Samādhi (samāhī), Supreme tranquility (santi), happiness (pamoa), supersatisfaction (tittī)
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Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays
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