Meaning and Scope:
The etymological meaning of non-violence is "not to kill", but when considered more profoundly, it implies infinite love and the capacity to bear all injury bravely. Nonviolence is the supreme religion. Just as all rivers head towards the ocean, all religions encompass non-violence. Lord Mahavira described non-violence as the sum and substance of an ideal life. According to him, violence is unpardonable. At the time of Lord Mahavira, it was a common belief that if one wins in a battle, one gains the earth and if one dies in battle, one attains Vaikuntha (the warriors' heaven). Lord Mahavira elucidated that war was the root cause of sorrow. He asked, "Of what relevance is external war? Fight with yourself." Preaching the eternal truth, Lord Mahavira reiterated, "Do not kill, do not hurt, do not cause harm, do not dominate and do not subjugate through force."
"Whomsoever you seeketh to kill is none else than your own self."
The first and foremost tenet of true spirituality is nonviolence. But without purity of mind, non-violence is not possible. Hatred and jealousy engender violence. The purpose of religion, according to the Jainism, is to help eradicate these pollutants of the mind and allow equanimity to govern.
Lord Mahavira was once asked, "O Lord, what is the meaning of eternal truth?" Lord Mahavira replied, "Eternal truth is not to kill any living being, not to tease or torture them." Jainism espouses the principle of atmatula - the equality of all souls. Based on this principle, all living beings must be treated as if they are no different to oneself. Lord Mahavira said, "Whom you want to kill is none other than yourself; whom you want to torture is you and none other; whom you want to rule is none other, only you and whom you want to enslave is, again, yourself." No one can harm another being without torturing themselves. The person, who kills others, kills themselves first.
Classification of Violence:
Since life is inter-dependent, how can one lead a life of complete non-violence? Essentials such as eating and drinking also cause violence. But since these are vital to maintaining life, so violence is an inherent part of existence. A social person not only commits violence daily but acknowledges that it is necessary part of life. Some argue that since some elements of violence exists and the whole of society is not concerned with non-violence, it is unrealistic and idealistic to be occupied with the issue.
The Jain acharya (pontiffs) approached this issue from a practical perspective and classified violence into three categories:
- Arambhaja- violence that happens in the process of gaining a livelihood, such as agriculture.
- Virodhaja- violence due to defense.
- Samkalpaja- violence not motivated by any unavoidable purpose.
A householder is a social creature. He cannot abstain from arambhaja and virodbhaja. But the acharya encouraged householders to give up samkalpaja. It is the first step towards a gradual development of a non-violent life. The second step requires making a distinction between necessary and unnecessary violence. Within the categories of arambhaja and virodhaja, an individual must eliminate all traces of unnecessary violence.
Non-Violence: The solid foundation for the social structure
The development of all societies hinges upon the ethos of non-violence. Without a foundation of non-violence, society - which entails co-operation between individuals -could never have arisen. Society is based on the principle of mutual co-opearation, not conflict. Our laws reflect the importance we place on non-violence and safeguarding individual well-being.
The first step in social evolution entails the limitation of violence and self-interest and the inculcation of compassion for other beings. The evolution of language, writing, agriculture, public works, mathematics, architecture and the like depended on co-operation and peaceful co-existence. Intellectual progress is dependent upon an ethos of non-violence. And the door of intellectual development will never be fully opened until the principle of non-violence is universally accepted and adhered to.
Human beings are inherently social beings and yet, personal, individualistic ambitions define the characteristics of our species. Individualistic and altruistic dimensions constitute the human personality. Desire, greed and fear co-exist along with a social consciousness. In modern society, the individualistic element has been given free reign. Possession and prestige has largely eclipsed social responsibility, and individuals have turned to theft and violence in order to attain them. In each individual, there exist karma sanskara (impressions of past actions), instincts and sex-instincts which become active due to environmental circumstances. Violence, therefore, is impossible to eradicate completely.
Social life involves a reduction of violence for the greater good. From the perspective of social organization, nonviolence is considered to be a utilitarian factor. Its value can be measured by the degree in which it harmonizes social relations.
Today, as in Lord Mahavira's time, nothing is more damaging than the widespread violence endemic in our societies and daily lives. Lord Mahavira's teachings are a message of equality. He admonished everyone not to consider anyone as inferior. "All souls have infinite power; do not try to subjugate them. Instead, raise yourself and all other people too." The fact that he initiated women into the ascetic order is evidence of his commitment to equality. His contemporary, the Buddha, only grudgingly permitted women to join his order, believing that women would be Buddhism's demise. Lord Mahavira rejected all forms of discrimination and dogmatic thinking. Lord Mahavira asserted that all aspirants, through their own spiritual force, would one day become Gods.
The real significance of non-violence can be understood in the sphere of religion and spirituality, Non-violence is not a tool to be used for some other purpose, but a value in and of itself. It is not merely a useful concept, but an essential part of spirituality. Spirituality is embodied through equanimity, and is shattered through violence. Some argue that religion is the primary source of violence or that violence has always played a part in religious history. Adherents of particular faiths have prosecuted their opponents, often in the name of 'God'. A distinction, however, must be made. Spiritual beliefs in and of themselves decry violence. It is only the misguided who see no wrong in adopting violent means to advance their beliefs. They do not see how counterproductive and hypocritical they are.
Is Non-Violence cowardice?
It is common for people to think of non-violence as not killing a creature. But this is the crudest interpretation. By reducing the meaning to simply that of not killing, one ignores the subtle mental violence. Feelings such as enmity, jealousy and hatred, which give rise to quarrels, false accusations, backbiting, deceit and so on, fall within the realm of mental violence. These are the main obstacles to a peaceful life. Non-violence can be discussed as a theoretical issue, but a transformation of consciousness does not take place in such a state of mind. Mental and verbal violence is the source of all other forms of violence and its eradication must be the first step in an effort to lead a non-violent life.
Some misinterpret non-violence as cowardice. They see non-aggression as a sign of weakness. Lord Mahavira's teachings on non-violence are important in this respect. He taught that earth, water, air, fire and vegetation are all endowed with life and to take life away from living beings is violence.
In the realm of spirituality, there are no enemies; only love and amity govern here. Non-violence exists with fearlessness, not cowardice. It is cowardice not to try to understand the so-called enemy and to find a common ground. After all, a person who runs from the battlefield to hide cannot be considered non-violent. Non-violence requires the courage to find a peaceful solution. At the mental level, absolutist viewpoints and ideas relating to religion breed violence, not religious beliefs themselves. The intransigence of ideologies lay at the root of religious violence, and that is why courage is needed to break such obstacles. To assume one's own path as the only true path is misguided and a form of prejudice. Religion is one sphere where human beings make absolutist claims. All human activity is vulnerable to this wayward manipulation. Lord Mahavira was severely critical of those who proclaimed that emancipation was possible only through their sect. He said such people do not understand the very basis of religion. In addition, very few investments are made in non-violence. No experiments, no research, no materials are created to facilitate the path of non-violence. Nonviolence seems confined to an occasional lecture or rally. It would seem that the resources of non-violence are sadly under-developed, whereas those of violence are almost limitless. In today's world, who can dismiss non-violence as inconsequential? It is so vital in our violent world where all living being living under the threat of annihilation. It is when we seek an alternative to violence that we find solace in non-violence.
Can violence server our purpose?
Many people in the world over believe that the way to success is through, "the barrel of a gun". Violence appears to offer a rapid solution, often as a response to violence itself. Many believe that non-violence is an idealistic tool and futile in the face of real armaments and aggression. Even in domestic issues, violence seems to provide a fast solution. If a child does not respond to his mother's requests, the mother may be justified in hitting the child. But what lesson should be learnt from this? Violence seems to be a magic bullet, a tactic far easier than persuasion. So violence becomes our creed.
Today, systematic training in organized violence is taught to police and army cadets. Huge sums of money are spent annually to augment the instruments of violence. Factories are built to manufacture armaments; experiments are conducted to achieve new weapons. But for non-violence few mechanisms exist to spread its message. Where do we find experiments in non-violence? Where are the commitments to its propagation? Although institutions of non-violence do exist, their strength and resources are limited. Conferences are held but few practical consequences follow. Our priorities are misguided one. Our resources for violence seem endless while those of non-violence are marginalized. And yet, our greatest need is to secure peace. It would be foolishness to dismiss the voice of non-violence as inconsequential. In fact it is our only hope in a world where every living being exists under the threat of annihilation. Never before there has been a need so strong for non-violence as in today's atomic age. Science has placed immense powers in human hands, which if used, would spell the immediate extinction of all life on the planet. Non-violence, at this juncture, is the only sound, logical and cogent remedy for the ills afflicting our age.
Ecology and non-violence:
Non-violence implies balance just as balance necessitates non-violence. Ecologists are aware of the need for balance in the environment. If any part of nature is disturbed, the whole cycle is disturbed. Each part of the cycle is of vital significance. In times past, human beings did not consider the consequences of their action on nature to be of any importance. Today, we know that animals and plants are vital to the eco-system, and their importance does not lie in their "uses" for human beings. Ecologists estimate that there are approximately twenty thousand types of flora, many of which are under the threat of extinction. Even if we maintain a human-centric and utilitarian attitude, these floras should be maintained.
The interdependence of nature, which ecology now expounds, has been explored from ancient times by spiritual leaders, such as Lord Mahavira, who taught the theory of equilibrium. He stressed that efforts to maintain equilibrium, should proceed not only between humans, but also between humans and animals. He urged humans not to disturb the inanimate as well as the animate world. It is not enough, not to kill; one should show respect for all living beings.
How to inculcate non-violence in one's day to day life:
Non-violence becomes a powerful force when it is advocated with purity of mind, speech and body. A truly non-violent person leads a peaceful life which allows no room for tension or aggression. Violence lies at the root of all tensions in its intimate association with desire. When one's desires are thwarted, tension arises and one struggles with it. This struggle is a form of violence. Most violence occurs on the level of the mind and it is this violence that we first inflict upon ourselves with disastrous effects. Our attachment to objects, ideas and people prevents us from remaining detached and free of tension. One wishes to be free of mental tension, but how is it possible without getting rid of mental violence? Violence remains in the heart and no amount of tranquilizers will ever cure the source of these tensions. Meditation by itself is not enough. The permanent way to be free from mental tension is nonviolence.
