AHIMSA ATUL BHOSEKAR

THE CONCEPT OF AHIMSA IN JAINISM

Everyone talks o non v!olen"e# In a"t !t $oes on to a "o%%on say!n$ t&at non v!olen"e !s t&e $reatest rel!$!on# B't t&e ('est!on !s )&at non v!olen"e !s* T&e ans)er !nvar!a+ly !s not k!ll!n$ or tort'r!n$ ot&ers or sav!n$ l!v!n$ +e!n$s# Hen"e non v!olen"e !s al)ays asso"!ate, )!t& ot&ers# Ho)ever very e) real!-e t&at r!se o atta"&%ent an, avers!on !n t&e !nner sel !s also v!olen"e# Ja!n!s%. an !%/ortant rel!$!on o In,!a. &as +een reveale, over a /er!o, o years t!ll t&e last T!rt&ankara 01 t& na%e, as 2ar,&a%an Ma&av!ra# All T!rt&ankaras &ave rea"&e, 3%oks&a4 at t&e!r ,eat& an, t&ey never "are, or nor &a, any !n l'en"e on )orl,ly a a!rs# A/art ro% t&e var!o's /&!loso/&!"al "on"e/ts. Ja!n!s% /ra"t!"es non v!olen"e as one o t&e %ost !%/ortant attr!+'tes# Ja!n!s% +el!eves t&at yo$a !s t&e "a'se o moksha 5salvat!on6# T&!s yo$a "ons!sts o jnana 5kno)le,$e6. shraddha 5 a!t& !n t&e tea"&!n$s o t&e J!nas6. caritra 5"essat!on ro% ,o!n$ all t&at !s ev!l6# T&!s "ar!tra "ons!sts o a&!%sa. s'nrata. asteya. +ra%&a"&arya an, a/ar!$ra&a# T&ese str!"t r'les a//ly only to as"est!"s )&o are +ent on atta!n!n$ /er e"t!on# 7reat stress !s /la"e, on t&e v!rt'es o a&!%sa s!n"e a&!%sa !s "ons!,ere, to +e t&e root o all v!rt'es# T&'s a&!%sa %ay +e $eneral!-e, as t&e 'n,a%ental et&!"al v!rt'e o Ja!n!s%# Ahimsa concept of Jainism: 2!olen"e !s o 0 k!n,s Mater!al v!olen"e an, /sy"&!" v!olen"e# Mater!al v!olen"e !s k!ll!n$ or tort'r!n$ l!v!n$ +e!n$s )&ereas /sy"&!" v!olen"e !s t&e ,es!re or %ental /re/arat!on to "o%%!t s'"& v!olen"e# Ho)ever t&e !ntent!on to save t&e l! e o ot&ers !s also not real non v!olen"e. +e"a'se t&at !s also atta"&%ent# Ja!n!s% +el!eves t&at atta"&%ent o )&atever k!n, ar!ses !n %!n, !s v!olen"e# R!se o atta"&%ents. avers!ons an, ,el's!ons !n 's !s v!olen"e an, to treat t&e% as rel!$!on !s t&e $reatest v!olen"e an, a+sen"e o t&ese !s non v!olen"e#

AHIMSA ATUL BHOSEKAR

T&e )&ole )orl, !s !lle, )!t& atta"&%ent an, avers!ons. l!kes an, ,!sl!kes an, &as +een sear"&!n$ or &a//!ness !n %ater!al!s%# Every+o,y !s restless to seek "o% ort t&ro'$& %ater!al "o% ort# In t&!s re$ar,. S)! t8s re%arks are ('!te s!$n! !"ant. 39e &ave :'st eno'$& o rel!$!on to %ake 's &ate. +'t not eno'$& to %ake 's love one anot&er4# In to,ay8s %a, ra"e or %oney an, %ater!al $a!ns. %an ,oes not )ant to /art!"!/ate !n t&e :oys an, sorro)s o t&e ent!re &'%an!ty an, ,oes not )ant to allev!ate t&e s' er!n$s o )ret"&e, %!ll!ons# J'l!an H';ley o+serve,. 3T&e nee, o t&e ,ay !s t&e e%er$en"e o &!$&ly ,evelo/e, rel!$!on# A ,evelo/e, rel!$!on to,ay )o'l, seek to 'n! y t&e var!o's /o)ers o t&e %!n, an, so'l so as to lea, to lea, to t&e r!"&est ,evelo/%ent o /ersonal!ty4# In t&!s a$e o s"!en"e an, "on l'en"e o var!o's "'lt'res. ne!t&er s"!en"e nor rel!$!on. +'t s"!ent! !" rel!$!on ,evo!, o any +l!n, a!t& "an solve )orl, /ro+le%s# As E!nste!n &a, sa!,. 39!t&o't rel!$!on s"!en"e "annot )alk< )!t&o't s"!en"e. rel!$!on "annot see# Rel!$!on an, s"!en"e not only ,o not stan, !n "on l!"t +'t a"t'ally "o%/lete ea"& ot&er4# T&e re%arka+le eat're o Ja!n!s% !s t&at !t &as s"!ent! !"ally o'n, a )ay or l!+erat!on t&ro'$& t&e /&!loso/&y o a&!%sa# T&e /&!loso/&y o a&!%sa )as !rst ta'$&t +y Ja!n T!rt&ankara R!s&a+&,ev# T&!s $ol,en $os/el )as /rea"&e, +y all01 T!rt&ankaras# A&!%sa &as +een ,e"lare, as t&e &!$&est /!nna"le o t&e Ja!n rel!$!on. &o)ever one ('est!on kee/ r!s!n$ )&at !s t&e tr'e %ean!n$ o a&!%sa* In /la!n lan$'a$e. !t %eans not to !n,'l$e !n v!olen"e. not to k!ll ot&er v!tal!t!es. not to &ar% ot&ers +y %!n,. s/ee"& an, +o,y or /os!t!vely to &el/ an, /rote"t ot&ers# 2!olen"e. non v!olen"e !s "onne"te, stra!$&t )!t& t&e att!t',e to t&e so'l# T&e "ons"!o's )!t& a /ervers!on o %!n,. even alse&oo,. t&e t. !ll=+e&av!or are alternate or%s o v!olen"e# As /er Ja!n!s%. v!olen"e an, non v!olen"e. !nstea, o +e!n$ relate, to t&e l! e an, ,eat&. &a//!ness an, %!sery o ot&ers. are relate, to atta"&%ent (raga). %al!"e (dvesha), ,el's!on (mithyatva), et"# Pass!on %eans "arelessness# T&!s "arelessness !s roote, !n atta"&%ent. %al!"e. et" )&!"& s&o'l, +e "ons!,ere, as real v!olen"e o sel < )&ereas k!ll!n$ ot&ers. "&ast!s!n$ so%eone )!t& s/ee"&. +o,y an, %!n, are "onvent!onal v!olen"e#

AHIMSA ATUL BHOSEKAR

T&e Ja!n !,ea o a&!%sa or t&e &o'se=&ol,er !s ,! erent ro% t&e one o t&e &o%eless sa!nt# T&e sa!nt o+serves t&e vo) )!t&o't any l!%!tat!ons< +'t s!n"e t&e &o'se=&ol,er &as to ,!s"&ar$e var!o's )orl,ly res/ons!+!l!t!es. &e !s at least e;/e"te, to $!ve '/ e$$s an, %eat eat!n$. !ntent!onal k!ll!n$. &'nt!n$ or &'rt!n$# Ja!n v!e) o a&!%sa en:o!ns not only "o%/ass!on to)ar,s &'%an +e!n$s. +'t even t&e t&o'$&t o "a's!n$ !n:'ry# Pyt&a$oras sa!,. 3Take not a)ay t&e l! e yo' "annot $!ve< or all &ave an e('al r!$&t to l!ve4 T&'s t&e Ja!n /&!loso/&y o a&!%sa en"o%/asses not only t&e e;ternal att!t',e +'t an !nner non v!olen"e# In Ja!n!s%. %an8s $reatness !s not %eas're, +y &!s )orl,ly /ossess!ons +'t &!s l! e o sel ,en!al. sel = sa"r! !"e. /!ety. /'r!ty an, ren'n"!at!on#

At'l B&osekar M#A II 5B',,&!st St',!es6