The Truth

Author(s): O P Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 86

OTHER ALLIED QUESTIONS
77
So long as Indians followed the doctrine of ahimsa, they were powerful and were respected all over the World. Those who practice ahimsa become contented, thoughtful, self centred and brave. Fear of any kind is unknown to a person who is supposed to follow ahimsa. Cowardice and ahimsa just cannot exist together. Non-killing or noninjury due to cowardice, fear of death or loss of wealth, can never be called ahimsa. Ahimsa in its true sense is always associated with sacrifice of one's worldly gains, love for all living beings and bravely defending one's spiritual values without inflicting injury on others. It is not a helpless submission to brute force, but a brave adherence to one's principles even in the face of death.
In actual practice, the operation of ahimsa varies with the circumstances of each individual and his spiritual development. A layman may begin the ahimsa dharma by avoiding the doing of unnecessary harm to others, then he applies himself to restricting of his desires and wants and finally when the powers of his soul are developed, the practice of absolute ahimsa becomes easy and natural' to him. It is the desires and passions that lead one to the commission of himsa.
In the ultimate analysis, a mere selfish thought or a passion is a himsa to self, for these ideas destroy the tranquility and peace of soul, make it impure and thus injure it, even before they lead to commission of himsa towards others. Going still deeper, any act, which is not the characteristic of pure soul substance, results in making one's own soul impure and thus is an act of himsa. All living beings can be classified into five evolution stages with respect to the development of their senses i. e., senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. Living beings possess three kinds of forces of life e. g., ayuh (span of life), bodily strength and power of breathing. Some living beings are also endowed with power of speech and mind. These are called the pranas (or life faculties). All living beings feel pleasure and pain and fear death.
Himsa is the causing of pain, emotional or physical, to another and includes all kinds of acts calculated to interfere with one's enjoy