________________
Ahimsa Culture for Human Survival
Śri R. R. Diwakar
Ishavasayam Idam-Sarvam (Isha Upanishat). In spite of death life persists, inspite of hatred love persists, and inspite of darkness light persists: Anon.
Let me in the very beginning explain the connotation and full significance of the words I have used in the title of this talk.
Ahimsa is an ancient Sanskrit word and originally meant only: 'non-killing'. It must have come into existence as a reaction to 'killing', and as a response to a feeling of aversion, distaste, repugnance to the act of 'killing' fellow human beings. Perhaps this was a first step in 'Ahimsa Culture'. As in the case of many other Sanskrit word, such as 'Yajña', 'Yoga'. in course of time, Ahimsa gathered a lot of connotation and came to mean 'non-injury' to others, by thought, word or deed. In Jainism, it means non-injury not only to human beings but to all living creatures, and Ahimsa is the highest and primal duty for a jain. Apart from the connotations the word gathered in the course of its use through about twenty-five centuries or more, when Gandhi began to use it as the twin of Satya or Truth, and as the best means of knowing, realising and establishing Truth in life and daily human living, the word gathered still more deeper the word 'Non-violence'. Both these two words though
परिसंवाद - ३
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
