Acharya Tulsi
Human beings, animals, birds, insects, and every creature want to live. No one wants to die. When no one wants death then to impose it forcibly on someone is not justice either. A self-restraint man never oppresses any living creature, never kills or hurts any one; the concept of non-violence has emerged from it. The violence doesn’t him in the fact that any living creature dies Non-violence saving oneself from self-degradation and to save someone from it.
The Way to Peace
Man yearns for happiness, is thirsty for peace. Peace emerges from stability from the trait of living in the middle and from equality. To think of getting peace from externally is foolish. Today people think violence, weapons, killing or equality whatever means is applied to get peace is welcoming, desirable and deserving. They set peace as their goal. I f one gets it through non-violence then it is fine, otherwise by resorting to violent means also the goal must be attained to. The error begins from this point only. The reality is turmoil cannot bring peace. Hatred cannot cocotte equality. Happiness cannot be attained by making someone miserable. One needs to raise oneself to get peace, equality and happiness, one has to develop the process of inner purification on someone is not the way to get peace, equality and joy either. It augments turmoil, hatred and misery.
The easy way to attain peace, equality and joy is—to renounce the thoughts concerning the world and to think of oneself. If the world doesn’t emancipate then also one needs to emancipate oneself. This is not really being selfish but rather a great help to mankind. A person must move on the path of salvation and also try to persuade others to move on the same path. If someone defies the lessons of peace then also the person must not lose his inner peace. lt will encourage friendship not merely with close friends and family members but also with antagonists. It is not possible for the lay person to become non- violent completely but still they must consider it an ideal and move forward. A person causing violence out of ignorance must also consider it an act of violence. One who considers something bad as bad will renounce it today or tomorrow but one who considers it good will never is able to leave it.
Stage of Violence
Most of the people think the act of hitting or killing is violence, therefore, they are afraid of physical violence to some extent but they seem to have developed intellectual violence. A shopkeeper thinks—l wish to get such a customer early in the morning so that l can make a lot of profit together. This trait of deception is violence. A higher official thinks that he gets less salary, the family is big, one has to maintain status, it would be good if whom he can get a good bribe. This is a stage of violence. If someone tastes it once then it is very difficult to get rid of it.
This is the reason why higher officials put the blame on traders and the traders put the blame on them, but no one leaves such vices. If the vices are renounced from both the ends then only the situation may improve.
Violence in Thoughts
To go for a false propaganda of someone’s ideas is also violence. As an example: the ideas and beliefs of Terapanth religious sect can be presented. Terapanth has a belief, ‘The question of any living creature’s life or death is not religion or sin. The true religion is to save a person from negative Traits. Failing to understand the true essence of this statement or even having understood it if someone distorts its real meaning and spreads that the people of Terapanth consider saving the life of any living creature as sin——this is a murder of ideas and thoughts. I clearly assert that to save someone’s soul from negative qualities is religion. Saving the life is only religion, the principal is not safe. To save a life of someone by resorting to violent means cannot be religion.
Terapanth has another belief to nurture—restrain is religion. In this context if it is spread that Terapanthis consider looking after parents a sinful act—-then it is assassination of thoughts. I say looking after every living creature is religion but I never consider this act as a service where lakhs of rupees are earned through black marketing and some thousands are invested for someone’s service or charity. It is not a true service but an excuse of earning fame and virtue. The true service is to keep a feeling of kinship with every living creature and to consider them as one’s own self. Considering someone poor and going for charity or after service is not real service.
Significance of Non-Violence Day
Some people often ask this question—whether it is possible to tum the whole world non-violent? The whole world has never turned non-violent nor will it turn non-violent. Event after a lot of efforts violence has never been obscured. Sometimes the scale of non-violence was higher and sometimes the scale of violence was higher. Today the scale of violence is heavier. The effort is to make it lighter. Anubrat is must move forward to make it possible.
Some people might say regarding arrangement of observing non- violent day in resistance to violence—what if non-violent day is celebrated for one day? In this context I feel that with this the inner traits would be encouraged, the voice of accepting non-violence would be raised from the inner recesses of one’s being and non-violence would descend on the human instincts engrossed in violence. I am happy that the butcher houses have been closed in Jodhpur. This work was accomplished not merely by the greed of money but by the awakening of inner conscience. Today’s non-violent day would provide an active inspiration to the mind of mass is what is expected.
My view is unique from that of the world. The world finds happiness in wealth but I feel happiness being poor. The world finds happiness in skyscrapers but I find happiness in a dilapidated cottage of man. The world has considered wantonness as happiness but I considered development as the base of happiness. The world lives in luxury but here simplicity gets indulged. The world is afraid of hunger, of famine but I feel happy even being hungry. I do not feel hungry while observing fast. All our programmes keep on going as they are. This state can be only attained by relying on non-violence.
