One of the distinctive marks of Jainism has
been its long tradition of nonviolence. Living as we do in an era of
unparalleled violence, this feature of the Jaina ethics should stimulate
contemporary interest for finding solutions to our global problems.
Ahimsa is a way of living that proceeds from
the recognition of the spiritual value of man as man. It is supported by
the values of aparigraha and anekantavada that develop an outlook of non
possessiveness and nondogmatism. Greed, hatred, attachment and
intolerance give way to mind and spirit that is sensitive to life,
compassionate, benevolent, and open. It is never supposed that the
practice of Ahimsa is easy, for a person must go through many stages of
purification. But once the discipline is mastered, Ahimsa is the only way
of ending all conflicts.
The Jaina literature is full of stories,
historical and legendary, that demonstrate that Ahimsa can serve as a
power for peace. For instance, there is the account of two kings,
Bahubali and Bharata who were about to engage in bloody war with large
armies. At the critical moment Bahubali suggested that instead of
allowing this conflict to entail the lives of many soldiers, he and
Bharata themselves engage in a show of strength to settle accounts. Thus
a battle was fought without the shedding of blood. Such stories have kept
alive the option of nonviolence as a way of resolving conflicts.
The Jaina Tirthankaras and monks have been
in the forefront of creating a world devoid of violence. Numerous
episodes in the life of Parsvanatha record his strong opposition to
violence. He was in the habit of countering hostile attempts upon his
life with the response of Ahimsa. It is said that he once saved a snake
from being burnt by a mendicant in a sacrificial fire. The incident shows
that he would not even permit violence for a religious purpose against any
living creature. Similarly, several events in the life of Lord Mahavira
also serve to establish Ahimsa as the highest perfection of human life.
Through his many acts of forgiveness and his firm faith in spiritual
values, Mahavira demonstrated that violence cannot permanently resist
nonviolence. If truly observed, Ahimsa ultimately triumphs.
A few years ago, the prominence given to
Ahimsa by Jainism would have sounded idealistic; today it is not just nice
but necessary. The old, practical ethics of justified killing belies the
true conditions of human fulfillment and overestimates the power of
violence against nonviolence. Thus the principle of pacifism, which has
surfaces on and off in the ethical consciousness of the human race is
found to be deeply rooted in the Jaina religion both in principle and in
practice.
In its fullest ramifications, Ahimsa is more
than pacifism as it is known in the Western world. Nonviolence is a
principle of life that goes beyond human life to include birds, animals
and all living beings. Jaina laymen are obligated to the daily practice
of Jivadaya�showing mercy to all creatures. It was this vow that brought
the Jaina saints into conflict with the Vedic practice of animal
sacrifices. Acarya Somadeva says to the royalty who often paid for these
elaborate sacrifices. �A king who constantly desires longevity, strength,
and health must not cause injury to living creatures himself, nor allow it
to take place when planned by others. One may give away the Meru mountain
of gold as well as the entire earth. The result will not be equal to that
of saving the life of a single sentient being.� It does not take much
sensitivity to see that all living beings wish to live and are in fear of
death. Therefore it is immoral to take away life for selfish ends.
Jaina literature has many examples of animal
rescue. It is said that Neminatha, the twenty second Tirthankara staged a
nonviolent demonstration by sacrificing his nuptial pleasure in order to
save the helpless animals that were kept in cages for the occasion of his
marriage.
Other stories make the point that,
ironically, dumb animals better understand the meaning of Ahimsa than
intelligent man. There is the narrative of Meruprabha the elephant who
was caught in a raging forest fire. All the animals and birds assemble in
a field to escape the flames. The area was so packed that a small rabbit
was unable to find a vacant space to lodge itself. Suddenly, Meruprabha
lifted its leg to scratch its body. Immediately the rabbit occupied the
spot vacated by the elephant�s foot. Knowing the move, the elephant kept
its leg elevated so as not to allow it to come down on the rabbit. At the
end of three days, the fire subsided and all the animals departed. But
the elephant died in that place because of injury sustained in standing on
three legs for three days.
The story of Meruprabha the elephant is a
literary gem because it illustrates the beneficent law of the jungle. To
be sure, animals feed on one another but the carnage is not
indiscriminate; fights are not to the death, and they do protect their
young with their own lives. Man, to whom intelligence is given, is
thereby placed in a position of greater ethical responsibility. He is
Nature�s eldest son who must use his superior powers to care for and
protect beings who are less endowed. He must not act as though the world
was made only for him and that animals were placed here as objects for
human food or sport. The saints have understood better. Ahimsa is not
just a social value but a natural value. �Nonviolence is for the welfare
of all kinds of animals, visible and nonvisible.�
Vegetarianism is another important correlate
of Ahimsa. It is �an attitude of life which refuses to enjoy any pleasure
at the cost of another�s pain. It is the policy of living at peace with
all beings as far as possible. It is a more radical innovation than any
of the modern sciences to raise the cultural level of man. The rational
conclusion of vegetarianism is that one should refuse any thing for any
purpose in which animals are slaughtered, even medicine and leather
goods.�
Since the Jaina ethical code is based on non
violence, the people are very particular about matters of food and drink.
Every layman is required to possess Asta-Mulagunas that comprise the five
Anuvratas plus abstinence from the consumption of flesh, wine, and honey.
Numerous stories describe some of the mulagunus, and it is claimed that
�flesh-eaters have no kindness, drunkards never speak the truth, and
people who take honey and the Udumbara fruit feel no pity.�
Jainism�s ancient advocacy of vegertarianism
is receiving global attention due to severe food shortages and to the
researches of the scientific community. Vegetarianism is the only viable
answer to world hunger, given the scarcity of resources. This is not
tantamount to the taking of a backward step out of necessity, for it is
now a fairly well established fact that �there is nothing necessary or
desirable for human nutrition to be found in meats or flesh foods which is
not found in and derived from vegetable products.�
