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Geeta Mehta, Humanism and Jainism
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celibacy and the fifth is aparigraha or renunciation of worldly objects. All these vratas are to be observed by individuals but they have social connotation.
Human concern, so non violence For the Jainas, a true religion consists in the practice of equanimity:
samiyāe dhamme āriehim paveie.?
And its foundation is the observance of non-violence:
se bemi: je aīyā, je ya paduppannā, je ya āgamissă arahantā bhagavanto te savve evam āikkhanti ... savve pāņā, save bhūyā, save jīvā, save sattā na hamtavvā ... esa dhamme suddhe, niie sāsae...
In the Ācārāngasūtra we come across these two definitions of religion. Equanimity is the essence of religion, while the observance of non-violence is its eternal exposition or a social aspect of religion. The Acārānga mentions that practice of non-violence is the true and eternal religion. It was agriculture which allowed man to settle down and think about himself as well as think about others. When he started thinking about himself, he expected non-injury, non-violence from others and if he expects non-injury, non-violence from others he also has to behave with others in the same manner. Jainas speak of violence as unnatural and of non-violence as natural because if you throw somebody into the river, you expect a cause for it but if you save a man from drowning into river, we do not require an explanation for it. It means that love or nonviolence is inherent in the nature of things. Non-violence is as natural as fragrance to a flower. Flower emitting fragrance is not conditional. It is, therefore, not conditional. It is unconditional and unmindful of its surroundings. Non-violence is the intrinsic nature of man. It is unconditional and unmindful of its surroundings. It is, therefore, not dependent even on the existence of the other, not to speak of the action of the others. The flower emits fragrance equally not only for its friends and foe but also when it is all alone and there is none to receive its fragrance. In the literature of world religions, non-violence as a way of life has a very ancient history. Jainism is the 'Ahimsā' religion par excellence among others. Jainism placed strong emphasis on the ethical principle of Ahimsā and also discussed it in epistemology and metaphysics. Ahimsā is the central core of Jain philosophy and religion. Rsabha is said to have been the first to preach Ahimsā before achieving his own Kaivalya. The preaching of Ahimsā is the most important task of Mahāvīra's life. Feeling of immense respect and responsibility for life inspires his activities. The Jaina
7 Ācārāngasūtra 1/5/3 Edited by Atmaramji, Jain sthanaka, Ludhiyana, 1963. 8 Ācārānga 1/4/1.
