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doctrine of Ahimsa in Jainism. He goes on to say that Ahimsa is essential not only for happiness in this life but in future lives as well. He further said, "like earth is the base on which all living beings exist, similarly the essence of experience of all wise men, of past, present and future, is that Ahimsa is the essence of life i.e. the highest attainment as a Tiirthankara state is achieved only through the practice of complete Ahimsa”. SS
The one who supports hurting / killing the life vitalities can never be free from the pain." This Ahimsa is the God which provided shelter / solace to all scared beings and as well as provides auspicious results to all immobile and mobile living beings. 57
In the same text, prior to making the above proclamation, he defined the living beings (i) immobile i.e. with one sense organ like plant bodied, air bodied, water bodied, fire bodied and earth bodied, and (ii) mobile with two to five sense organs like ants, mosquitoes, animals, birds, human beings, heavenly and hellish living beings.
He further says “Knowing them, a wise man should not act sinfully towards the living beings, nor cause others to act so, nor allow others to act so. He who knows these causes of sin related to living beings is called reward knowing sage.38
The coverage of Ahimsa is so vast that it does not refer only to our external activities (like hurting or killing by physical means only) but it refers more strongly to the internal activities of mind." Such acts can be performed knowingly or unknowingly. Activities involved in committing violence (3): intention to commit, preparation to do and actual doing. While performing the violent activities, the three factors and means affecting the level of violence are:
Motive behind violence (4): anger, pride, deceit and greed.
Intensity of motive behind violence (4): intense, mild, moderate or gleaming like line drawn on rock, mud, sand and water respectively.
Gandhi & Jainism Pg. 243
