Ahimsa and application

Activities to Support Vows Activities to Support Vows

Non-stealing

Celibacy

Truthfulness

Non-Violence

Non-Possessiveness

Dual nature of Vows

• Detached Inhibits Inflow Of Karmas (Samvar)

• Attached Generates Beneficial Karmas (Punya)

• Detached Not To Be Violent

• Attached To Be Compassionate

Ahimsa --Sthul Pränätipät Viraman-vrata Nonviolence

• Sthul Prän Atipät Virman

• Sthul Gross

• Pränätipät means ill treatment of the Pränas (life forces)

• Viraman means stopping.

• What is Präna (Life Forces)?

• How many different types of Präna?

• Types of Prän

• Drvaya

• Bhäv

Life Forces

• Drvya Prän (Vitality)• Sparsh-Indriya Touch • Ras-Indriya Taste • Ghrän-lndriya Smell • Chakshu-lndriya Vision • Shrotra-Indriya Hearing • Mano-bal Mind • Vachan-bal Speech• Käy-bal Body• Shväsoshväs Respiration• Äyushya Longevity

• Bhäv Prän

• Jnan

• Darshan

• Charitra

• Virya

What is Himsä?

"Pramattayogät Präna-vyaparopanam Himsä" • “The destruction of life forces due to an act involving negligence

(Pramäda) is violence".• What is Pramäda?

• Any injury whatsoever to the material or conscious vitalities caused through passionate activity of mind, body or speech.

• Any activity which delays our spiritual journey towards liberation.• Injuring one self –to behavior that inhibits the soul’s ability to

attain Moksha • Defiling innate attributes of soul

• Pramäda • Mental state of attachment and aversion • Negligence• Unawareness • Lack of faith• Disrespect• Attachment• Aversion

Himsä: Dravya And BhävPhysical And Spiritual

• Dravya Himsä The actual hurt or injury• Bhäv Himsä, The intention to hurt or injure to the Präna

(vitality)

• Himsä: Bähya And Antargata External And Internal

• Bähya External aspects • Antargata Internal aspects

• Swaroop Hinsä Incidental Hinsä

• Hetu Hinsä Hinsä because of Carelessness

• Anubandha Hinsä Intention of Hinsä

• Classification Of Himsä: (Violence)• Ärambhaja or Ärambhi Himsä, Occupational

injury• Anärambhaja or Anärambhi Non occupation

Intentional injury• Ärambhi Himsä

• Udyami Himsä Industrial injury• Grihärambhi Himsä Domestic injury• Virodhi Himsä Defensive injury

Different Ways We Commit Himsä

• Mind, Body and Speech

• Doing act, Encouraging and appreciating

• Past, Present and Future

• Five One Sense Being, And Four Other Types

• 3x3x3x9

• Himsä can be committed by three kinds of Karana (action):

• Krita, by doing it oneself

• Karita, by getting it done through others

• Anumodana by giving consent to others doing it

W ith ou t C au se(L u xu ry, S p ort)

W ith C au se(Im p rove B eh avio r O f D ep en d en ts )

W ith ou t O ffen se(N o C rim e)

W ith O ffen se(P ro tec tion , D e fen se)

W ith In ten tion N ecessary F or L ive lih ood

M ob ile J iv(2 -5 S en ses )

Im m ob ile J iv(1 S en se)

Typ es O f V io len ce

AvoidableAvoidable

Avoidable

• Observance of Non-Violence by Householders:• He/She will avoid intentional injury and will

reduce violence as much as possible for industrial, domestic, and defensive purposes.

• He/She will avoid major violence and reduce minor violence as much as possible.

• He/She will reduce/avoid both the intentions of violence and the acts of violence.

Reasons for Ahimsa

• Rational consciousness• Emotional compassion—Other oriented consciousness • Individual responsibility---Self oriented consciousness • Social fellow-feeling• Refraining from violence• Deep reverence for all life..• Anekäntaväda • Not imposing own thoughts on others or manipulating others for

self benefit

Ahimsä

• The Jain concept of respect for the life of others led to the principle of respect for the views of others, which formed the basis of “Anekänta" or non-one-sided doctrine.

• Non-violence (Ahimsä) strengthens the autonomy of life everywhere

Support for Ahimsä

• Supporting FactorsControl of Speech and Mind, Control of Movement, Examinations of food and drink before consuming, Handling waste, Handling household objects

• Cultivating Factors

Friendship, Appreciation, compassion and equanimity

• Mother always wishes and worries about well-being of her child

• Mother is always pleased with child’s progress and success

• Mother always feels pain for child’s sorrow

• Mother always ignores child’s faults

• Maitri----- Friendship

Desire to do good to others

• Pramod---- Appreciation

To be pleased seeing others happy

• Karunä----Compassion

To feel pain for others’ misery

• Mädhyastha----- Equanimity

To overlook other’s faults calmly

• What is your response when you see a little child stepping on a insect?

• Example of Social Non-violence

• Example of Economic Non-violence

• Example of Political Non-violence

• Example of Social Non-violence

• Example of Economic Non-violence

• Example of Political Non-violence

Circle of Non-Violence

• Self

• Family

• Friends

• Society

• Enemies

• Environment

• The Six Steps of Non-Violence

• Avoid harm By Actions

• Avoid harm By Speech

• Avoid harm By Thoughts

• Love With thoughts

• Love With Speech

• Love With Actions

Non-violence and Compassion

Jainism recognizes sanctity in all life forms. • Ahimsä is disciplined behavior towards every living

being - Dashvaikalika Sutra (6/9)

• Absence of violence of any sort towards all beings at all times is Ahimsä. - Yogasutra

• In its absolute definition:– ‘Ahimsä is the absence of destructive thoughts,

feelings or attitude’

A profound truth for all times

“One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water and vegetation, disregards his own existence which is entwined with them”

- Lord Mahavir (599-527 BC)

The ancient Jain scriptural aphorism

• Parasparopgraho Jivänäm – – Tattvärtha Sutra (2000 year old Scripture)

All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence

• Environment is imbued in every living beings

• If we harm “ONE” we harm “ALL” living beings– Refreshingly contemporary in its premise and in its promise. – Forms the basis of the modern day science of ecology.

• The major lapses and violations of the vow of non-violence:

• Not considering Ahimsā as the key element in the whole scheme of the ethical discipline of the Shrāvak and the monk.

• Being violent towards others and toward own-self because of passions or carelessness

• Encouraging or appreciating violence caused by others

• Unnecessarily wasting earth, water, fire, air, and vegetations

• Not giving protection or expressing compassion towards mobile living beings

• Consuming or using harmful and illicit substances. (e.g. drugs, liquor, or food obtained thru gross violence)

• Exposing mind to violence by watching violent movies, reading books depicting violence, or associating with violent people

• Imposing own thoughts on others or manipulating others for self benefit

• Needlessly confining animals and birds• Using animal drawn carriages or needless riding on

animals• Making animals carry heavy loads• Depriving animals and birds of shelter• Using dairy products obtained from animals that have not

been properly cared for.

Ahimsä and other Vrats

• Ahimsä and Achaurya (Non-stealing)• Ahmisä and Satya ( Truth)• Ahimsä and Aparigrha (Non-possessiveness)

• Comfort comes as a guest; lingers to become the host, and stays to enslave us.

The Inconvenient Truth

• Organic not necessarily means Vegetarian or Vegan• Production of Honey involves violence• Red dye from Crushed Cochineal Insects• One single Edition of NY Newspaper uses 6800 trees• Most Cheese - Rennet Enzyme - Animal product• WHEY -- A by-product of cheese making • Wine making requires clarifying agent like gelatin, eggs, blood

from mammals• One silk sari 2000-2500 silk worms• Mercedes-s car with leather seats requires seven cow skin• Bone china is made of calcined ox bone, bone ash.

• Vegetarianism (Rejection of Eating Animal Food

• Rejection of Drinking Liquor

• Abandonment of Honey

• Dress and Decoration

• Basic Positive Aspects of Ahimsa

What does Jainism teach about ecology?

• Non-Possessiveness / Self-restraint is the second most important Jain principle – Minimizing consumption provides respect for other’s

life and Environment– Reduce needs and wants as far as possible.– Reuse / Recycle Products - Not to waste the gifts of

nature– Share resources– Nature provides enough for our NEED not enough for

our GREED

• Non-violence (Ahimsä) strengthens the autonomy of life everywhere

• Non-absolutism (Anekäntaväda) strengthens autonomy of thoughts & speech (Syädväda)

• Non-possessiveness (Aparigraha) strengthens autonomy of interdependence

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,

it probably hurts the other, too.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you,

it probably hurts the other, too.