Acharya Tulsi
It is said that once darkness went to Brahma. He said complaining against the Sun, ‘I need security’. Brahma asked him, ‘who are you at risk from?’ Darkness said, ‘The Sun doesn’t allow me to exist. For him my existence is in trouble’. Brahma called the Sun. The Sun arrived. Brahma said, ‘I know you are powerful. I have also come to know that you are mutualizing your power. What harm has the poor darkness caused you? Why do you create troubles for him?’ The Sun heard it for the first time. He said, ‘whatever judgment you pass I shall approve of it but at first I need to know what my crime is? You said I am desperate to annihilate darkness. I do not want to contradict you but I want to say that I have never seen darkness in my life. It would be very kind of you, if you call darkness in front of me’.
Brahma ordered darkness to appear before him and present his problem himself. Darkness couldn’t gather enough courage to appear before the Sun. The way the Sun and darkness cannot co-exist, in a similar way non-violence and fear cannot co-exist. The basis of non- violence is fearlessness. A person who is not fearless, cannot be non- violent.
One Who Bears becomes Successful
There is a notion that religion and spirituality are always subject to individuality. It is necessary to go to any forest if one needs to go for penance of religion, if one needs to lead a spiritual life. Penance is possible only in solitude or in a cave. Jaina Tirthankaras, however made penance for religion possible even in crowd. They did not advocate individual effort. If a person wants he can also observe penance alone, but this way is not suitable for everyone. That’s why the way of observing penance in a group was introduced. Here some thousands of people can get together and observe penance.
Why did Tirthankaras lay forward the way of observing penance in a group? It can be done alone as well as in a group. It can be followed at night as well as in day. To observe penance alone is quite difficult. In a similar fashion it is quite difficult to stay in 'a group. A group is a touchstone. A person can test himself there. A person who can keep his calm even in a group, can bear the presence of everyone, he can be successful.
There was a time when the tradition of joint family persisted in our country. Some fifty or hundred people would stay together. They would use the same oven to make food. They -would share their- happiness and misery with one another and stood by someone at the time of any crisis. They would live a peaceful life. Now the situation has completely changed. The internal clashes are breaking the family ties. The man of today is getting isolated even while living in society. Now the definition of family has changed. The husband and wife with one or two children form a family. It is a small family. After having reached a ripened age the children get married. They form their own families. Only the husband and wife stay together. What difficulties they have to face. There is no relative to meet. There is none to take care of them. The intrusion of western culture has broken the family but it has not solved the problem of isolation. This is the reason why the lifestyle is getting complicated. Whether it is an individual or society, as long as the factor of non-violence is not incorporated in life no human being can live peacefully. If one wishes to lead a peaceful life then non-violence has to be brought in one’s thoughts and actions.
Different Forms of Murder
If non-violence and lifestyle is thought about then many new avenues can be revealed. In this context the climate of discussion concerning non-violence becomes somewhat different. The main point worth contemplating in the context of non-violence is— suicide, murder,abortion or killing embryos and murders concerning accumulation of material products.
Committing suicide is a new gift of modem lifestyle. In ancient days, there was no suicide, would not be right to say. But such cases would take place namely at the interval of some years. Now-a-days suicide has almost become a regular diet. In a developed country like America the average rate of suicide is quite startling. The main reason of committing suicide is extreme emotion or intolerance. To bear a situation that is hostile to one’s desire has gone beyond the reach of everyone. The emotions become so strong that one doesn’t get an opportunity of thinking any pros and cons. According to Jainism, committing suicide is a sin. One who gets initiated in the lineage of Jainism has to take a vow— ‘I shall never commit suicide’.
Who Commits Suicide?
Killing is a crime. Whether it is of the self or any other person. It cannot be considered legitimate. No matter which religion a person follows, religion as such cannot permit anyone to kill or commit an act of murder. A person can only kill when he is ruthless. A sensitive person cannot even cause violence to an ant without any specific purpose. There are five virtues by which a religious person can be identified out of which one is compassion. Generally to give alms to a beggar is considered an act of compassion. But, it is not a true meaning of compassion. The meaning of compassion is— a feeling of kindness towards every living creature. This feeling can only save a human being to refrain from causing unnecessary violence.
Terrorism is a universal problem. The way terrorists kill the innocent people mercilessly, hearing such an incident is enough to cause trembling. It is beyond my understanding how do human beings become so ruthless? The trend of kidnapping and killing that is going on, has terrorized -the whole mankind. It is not merely in Punjab, Kashmir and Assam but everywhere terrorists are getting more or less active. If a vow of not killing innocent people is taken then terrorism can be put to an end in a single day. This problem of violence cannot seem to be resolved without non-violence.
I Wish There Were Films Available on Hell
Committing suicide is a sin. Killing someone is a sin. Then where lays the question of abortion or killing of embryos? When a person talking about technology, ecology and such other issues becomes desperate to kill unborn innocent children then where does his humanity go? I wish there was a film recorded on abortion and akin to that a film on hell was shown. A person convicted of murder and such other dreadful crimes goes to hell. The way angel of death fortunes them, even seeing such scenes once leaves one trembling. When a person is thirsty he is made to drink hot bronze, he is being burnt and tied upside down. God knows what other tortures are unleashed. Possibly one seeing such dreadful scenes shuts one’s eyes.
Film of Butcher House
How innocent animals are killed in butcher house has been recorded and made into a video film. The people seeing this film get influenced deeply but after sometime they forget all about it and their lifestyle goes on as usual. Whether it’s an abortion or killing of animals, without keeping humanity at stake no human being can be so cruel. Whether a man becomes an angel or not but at least he must become a human being. If he is unable to make someone happy why make someone miserable? If he cannot provide life to anybody then why strip someone off his life?
Intoxicant in the Well
The people using the products of grooming that are manufactured through violence often advocate that violence and encourage it. Man is so selfish. He doesn’t hesitate to annihilate the lives of other creatures for the sake of his own pleasure. The hunger for artificial beauty makes victims of so many mute creatures the estimate of which is unknown. But whom to complain? When the intoxicant is mixed in the well then the effect of it influences all. Those who fail to understand this factor; it is not easy to make these people understand.
It is Necessary to Understand the Factor
Akbar’s messenger went to Iran. He met the emperor there. During their conversation at some context he said, ‘Our emperor is just the second phase of the moon. You have become the full moon’. After having ended his work he came back. Some people also complained against him to the emperor. Akbar got disappointed with him. He summoned the messenger to enquire. The messenger said- ‘Jahapanah (Emperor) the message that reached you is true. I had actually said so,’ ‘Why’ asked Akbar‘? To answer this question he said, ‘The full moon shrinks. The second phase of moon has a possibility of growth.’ After hearing it the emperor got happy.
Even talking is an art. What kind of words to what kind of person in what manner and in what language must be said so that the job is accomplished and what kind of words befall a person who is at the pinnacle of success? A person who realizes it just like the messenger of Akbar can save himself from an approaching peril.
To live in the society it is also necessary to take refuge in non- violence or the society cannot run smoothly. From this point of view it is necessary to provide training of non-violence in schools and colleges and be made a part of one’s lifestyle. It can solve many problems.
