Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 1

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 238

FOUNDATIONS OF WORLD PEACE : AHIMSA AND ANEKĀNTA 227
it definitely recorded in the definition of himsa as propounded by Umāsvāti viz. 'the deprivation of life caused by vanity or anger or malice (pramada) is deemed himsā'. In current Jaina ethics we find a revealing consciousness of the part played by the psychological motive in the distinction between unmotivated violence (dravjahimsa) and motivated violence (bhavahimsa).
The Buddha, if we are to believe in the Pali version, did not abstain from animal diet, and so also his followers. The uproar of the Jainas against Buddha's partaking of meat in the feast given by the Licchavi general, Simhasenapati, may be a historical fact. The Buddha exculpated himself and his followers on the ground that animal food by itself is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy, though it is the result of violence. If the animal is not slaughtered by a person for his own delectation or by another at his instigation or encouraged by his approval, the person partaking of the animal food is not to be blamed. Furthermore the difference between Buddha and Devadatta on the question of the permissibility of animal diet brought about a schism in the Buddhist church. But the Buddha did not yield for the sake of gaining popular applause. One must purify his mind and remove the debasing passions, ill will, malice, greed, vanity, selfaggrandisement and not be tempted or povoked to kill a living being.
The present-day malaise of the nations stems from fear of aggression of the powerful nations on weaker ones. The weaker nations are for all practical purposes thought to be the proper objects of exploitation, if not extirpation. It is undesirable that any average man with undeveloped moral sense wants to enrich himself at the cost of his fellows. He does not believe in the principle of live and let live. Violence begets violence and there is no end of hostility as it is said in the Dhammapada :
na hi verepa verā pi sanimantidha kudacana
averena tu sammanti esa dhammo sanantano ti // "Hostility cannot be contained by hostility, but only by cessation from and forbearance of the hostility. Buddhism says that it is the perennial law of ethics." We have no reason to doubt the truth of this law in the relationship between different persons, though its validity is called in question in international affairs.
Nowadys violence seems to be the basal law of political conduct. The cult of communism is founded on the cult of himsă involved in the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie and the capitalists. When the capitalist exploits human labour for his profit, he must be