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Vol. XVII, No. 4
lence is negative or positive ehical principle. The word itself, as we know is negative. In Jain ethics which seem to have emphasized non-killing more than any other system in Indian thought, there are various rules prohibiting participation in certain activities. Apart from certain primitive taboos, a Jaina layman may, as described by Herman Jacobi, voluntarily submit for the limited time to rigorous regime, by taking one of the silavrata regulation, or partial vows: (1) digvirati, is restraining freedom of physical movement, (2) anarlhadandavirati, is a vow to engage in anything that does not strictly concern him and (3) upabhogaparibhagaparimāṇa, imposed a limit on his food, drink and personal pleasures, forbiding of cause of vicious pleasures. 35
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These three vows of the "silavrata" or "gunavrata" to give them their particular name, together with many other Jaina vows and rules, show that Jainism has a strong tendency towards a negative interpretation, Mrs. S. Stevension gives it as her opinion that the central thought of Jainism is not so much saving life as refraining from destroying it.36 Jadunath sinha also affirms that the vow (vrata) of ahimsa is negative.37 This shows that there are grounds for thinking that the emphasis in Jaina ethics is not on doing positive good to others but on refraining from evil. A Jaina tries to acquire spiritual merit not so much by assisting others, but by refraining from actions which may lead to the destruction of livingbeing.
In modern literature, however, it is difficult to find statements that non-violence is purely negative. Bool chand for example, in his thesis "Lord Mahāvīra" takes the modern view:
"Ahimsa has been understood to compreshend ahimsa in thought, by word or act. It is important to add that it has not been explained merely on negative principle. It has been taken to mean the rendering of active service of others, for we shall be really injuring a person when can help him but do not. The social-objective-side of ethics is not ignored, but so far as the final aim of Jainism is the development of one's personality, it emphasizes the individual aspects.38 Thus, the final aim of Jainism is individualistic. A released soul seems to be above social service and sufficient into itself.39 From this point of view, it is difficult to understand how the way of this individual good could be social service. I would suggest the idea that positive virtue cannot be practised in a vacuam. They are mainly social, but self-regarding virtues are more often negative.
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