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TULASI-PRAÑA, Jan.-March, 1992
According to Ācāränga sutra, a great sage, neither injuring, nor' injured, becomes a shelter for all sorts of afflicted creatures, like an island, which is never covered with water.40 This hints at a positive interpretation of ahiṁsā. A Jain saint may take no positive part in wordly activities by helping others; he may renounce all form of social action and practise the self-regarding virtue, Yet it is still supposed that his more presence will provide shelter and solace for afflicted beings. However, this does not resolve the problem of of whether Jaina ahiṁsā is positive, because the very approach is predominantly negative.
To achieve perfection Jainas applied non-violence in a negative form. It is not possible at any time for a human being to practise positive ahimsā to perfection, because he cannot forsee everything.
is limited by his ability and by external circumstances, and thus, positive ahiṁsā can only be practised in a limited way. Negative ahiṁsā (particularly if understood in the physical sense alone) can be practised in a more perfect form; but it leads to non-action and withdrawal from society. It seems that more emphasis there is on the negative aspect of physical non-injury, the more it leads to social withdrawal and vice versa.
In Jaina ethics, non-violent action is devided into three kinds : physical, verbal, and mental, i.e. it is generally accepted that it places the stress on the acting subject. If an action is called physical, verbal and mental, it does not depend upon the object. The object, of course, may be either physical or mental. In the **Sūtra Kftānga sūtra”, it is said that there are three ways of committing sins by one's own activity, by commission, and by approvel. Another very popular analysis of non-violent action is by body, by speech and by mind. 41
We have excellent descriptions of vocal non-violence in Jaina ethics. Kundakundāchärya explains care-fulness in speech, 'BhāṣāSamiti' in the following words:
"He who having renounced backbiting, ridiculing, talking ill of others, self-practising and harsh worked speech what is good for himself as well as for others is said to have carefulness in speech. 42
The language uttered should be sweet, gentle and pleasant. Further in "Uttarādhyāyana sūtra". "a student is advised not to provoke his teacher's anger., nor should himself grow angry. Preceiving the teacher's anger one should pacify himself by kindness,
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