Book Title: Studies in Jainism
Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
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BRĀHMANIC AND ŚRAMANIK CULTURES 95 that the lesser the attachment, the greater the mental peace. It is only when attachment vanishes that the human mind will be free from mental tension and emotional disorders.
NON-VIOLENCE AS A MEANS TO PEACE
Tranquillity is a personal or inner experience of peace. When it is applied in social life or is practised outwardly, it becomes non-violence. Non-violence is a social or outer expression of this inner peace. In Acāranga, Lord Mahāvira remarks,
The worthy men of the past, present, and future all say thus, speak thus, declare thus, explain thus : all breathing, existing, living and sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented. This is the pure, eternal and unchangeable law or the tenet of religion.
In other words, non-violence is the eternal and pure form of religion. In Jainism non-violence is the pivot on which its whole ethics revolves. In other words, violence represents all the vices and non-violence represents all the v Non-violence is not a single virture, but it is a group of virtues. In the Prasnavyākarana-sutra, the term 'nonviolence' is equated with sixty virtuous qualities, namely : peace, harmony, welfare, trust, fearlessness, etc. Thus nonviolence is a wide term, which comprehends all the good qualities and virtues.
The concept of non-violence and regard for life is accepted by almost all the religions of the world. But none of the religions observes it so minutely as Jainism. Jainism prohibits not only killing of human beings and animals but also killing of vegetable life. To hurt the plants is also an act of violence or himsā. Its basic principle is that life, in whatever form it may be, should be respected. We have no right to take another's life, because everyone wants to live as we do. The Däsavaikälika mentions that everyone wants to live and not to die, for this simple reason, Nigganthas prohibit violence. It can be said that the Jaina concept of
