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TIRTHANKARA MAHAVIRA AND HIS SARVODAYA TIRTHA
impos
It is often said that to practise these in life is next to sible, since they are so very hard and intricate.
Although according to Bhagavan Mahavira, these five must be free from all blemish or touch of violence, etc., but to bring them in life, their degrees have been recognised so that they may not be difficult to adopt and practise.
While the life of a monk is wholly devoid of violence, till accumulation of any sort, a householder practises these according to his ability and situation whereas for no sufficient reason, he does not disturb or kill an ant, when there comes a call from the country, the society, the household, the religion, where the honour and dignity of women are at stake, he does not even hesitate to apply the sword.
Thus we see that the above allegation is made without understanding Bhagavan Mahavira's prescription as per need and his outlook based on anekānta.
Bhagavan Mahavira has always emphasized upon thought based on anekānta, speech based on syādvāda and behaviour based on non-violence. The Jaina behaviour does not bother about untochability but it must be wholly or largely free from violence Other items of behaviour are, not to drink water without passing it through a piece of cloth, not to take food at night, not to take wine or meat, etc., the broad contents of non-violence.
Bhagavan Mahavira has declared non-violence to be the great religion. But non-violence cannot flourish so long as there is wide disparity in social life. So in social life there must be tolerance, fellow-feeling and co-existence He has given emphasis on these in order to reduce the area of violence.
Tolerance and fraternity connot be the achieved goals so long as aspiration does not end. Aspiration gives rise to dissension and makes a living being restless. Religious in tolerance has been a cause of many acts of violence and bloodshed in the history of mankind. History has many records of this. When religious aspiration exceeds a limit of tolerance and becomes restless for its own propagation, it has to take shelter with violence
