Acharya Tulsi
Non-violence carries value everything in life. To retain order in regular way of life non-violence has a great utility. Without a non-violent view family, society and nation cannot run smoothly. Even the people carry all sorts of false notions regarding it. Very few truly understand the true essence of it. Those who in order to full their needs do not value the life of a living creature, they do not understand the value of non-violence either.
This is regarding a context while l was living in Ajmer. One day a student of university came to me and said—Acharyaji, l has listened to your discourse. The way you have defined the significance of Anubrat, I liked it very much. But, I failed to understand the first step of Anubrat. The first law of it is—“I won’t kill any living creature consciously that wanders”. If we refrain from killing any living creature then how we would practice using arms? If we enlist our names in Army and don’t use weapons then how we would fight for our nation? Therefore, this law of yours is impractical. You better remove it.
I listened to him patiently and then said, ‘Human beings need to practice using arms so he needs to hunt down innocent animals, it can be understood by them but the dying animal doesn’t realize it. The second question is that war has to be waged against human beings. Then how one would practice using arms by shooting an animal instead of a human being? The training of hitting a man would be accompanied only when the target is on some human being. To use arms on human being is a crime according to the law. In a situation like used for practicing aim. An Animal cannot speak, it cannot protest against the injustice meted out to it so how it could be considered wise using it for practicing arms?
I extended my reply and said, ‘You are also a human being. Aman practicing how to use arms tells you, “I have no enmity with your brother. I don’t even want to kill you. But the situation is such that I want to practice using arms so would you accept his proposal? Thus having listened to my argument at length he got snubbed for some time. Then he replied, “this isn’t possible’.
Then I said explaining him, ‘The way your life is valuable to you in the same way the other living creatures also love their life. Violence remains violence at every given situation, within the sphere of necessities a violent act cannot become non-violent. To practice using arms is something and to defend one is completely different thing. No law must be questioned just drifting with the flow. Every law must be judged by its context and consequences and then only it can be decided whether it is practical or non-practical.’
The student finally agreed to this basic fact of life and took a few vows.
