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I may point out in passing that particular kinds of ahimsā are a matter of exploration. Every age develops many kinds of subtle himsā, which are a matter of exploration. Gross ahimsā, like non-killing, is easily recognisable; but subtle ahimsā, like non-exploitation is a matter of discovery. Thus different forms of ahimsa, will ever be appearing before us by our exploring outlook and tendencies. Thus the, definition of subha as the experience in tune with ahimsa is the most general definition like the definition of dravya as that what is sat.
It is all right that good is definable as the experience in tune with ahimsā, but it may be asked what is ahimsā? Now the question, what is ahimsa in the value-world is like the question, what is sat in the factual world? Just as sat is understandable through the particular examples of things like pen, table, book etc., so also ahimsā is understandable through the particular examples of ahimsā, like non-killing, non-exploitation, non-enmity, non-cruelty etc. When it is so easily understandable through examples, the craving for the definition of ahimsa is pedantry serving no purpose. Ahimsā can be taught by examples, just as in arithmetic 2 + 2 = 4 can be taught to a child with the help of an example like two balls + two balls and gradually the child learns to do big sums without examples. In the same way ahimsă can be understood gradually. The argument of understandability can not be adduced in the case of subha without definition. For understanding subha, definition is a necessity, but a similar necessity does not exist for ahimsa in view of the above mentioned facts.
It may be noted that the Puruṣārthasiddhyupaya defines ahimsa by saying that non-emergence of attachment etc. is ahimsa (Aprādurbhāvah khalu rāgādināṁ bhavaty
Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays
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