Ahimsa and application

1. Ahimsa and application

2. Activities to Support Vows Non-stealing Truthfulness Non-Violence Non-Possessiveness Celibacy

3. Dual nature of Vows • Detached Inhibits Inflow Of Karmas (Samvar) • Attached Generates Beneficial Karmas (Punya) • Detached Not To Be Violent • Attached To Be Compassionate

4. Ahimsa --Sthul Pränätipät Viraman-vrata Nonviolence • Sthul Prän Atipät Virman • Sthul Gross • Pränätipät means ill treatment of the Pränas (life forces) • Viraman means stopping. • What is Präna (Life Forces)? • How many different types of Präna?

5. Types of Prän • Drvaya • Bhäv

6. Life Forces • Drvya Prän (Vitality) • Sparsh-Indriya Touch • Ras-Indriya Taste • Ghrän-lndriya Smell • Chakshu-lndriya Vision • Shrotra-Indriya Hearing • Mano-bal Mind • Vachan-bal Speech • Käy-bal Body • Shväsoshväs Respiration • Äyushya Longevity

7. Bhäv Prän • Jnan • Darshan • Charitra • Virya

8. What is Himsä? "Pramattayogät Präna-vyaparopanam Himsä" • “The destruction of life forces due to an act involving negligence (Pramäda) is violence". • What is Pramäda? • Any injury whatsoever to the material or conscious vitalities caused through passionate activity of mind, body or speech. • Any activity which delays our spiritual journey towards liberation. • Injuring one self –to behavior that inhibits the soul’s ability to attain Moksha • Defiling innate attributes of soul

9. Pramäda • Mental state of attachment and aversion • Negligence • Unawareness • Lack of faith • Disrespect • Attachment • Aversion

10. Himsä: Dravya And Bhäv Physical And Spiritual • Dravya Himsä The actual hurt or injury • Bhäv Himsä, The intention to hurt or injure to the Präna (vitality) • Himsä: Bähya And Antargata External And Internal • Bähya External aspects • Antargata Internal aspects

11. Swaroop Hinsä Incidental Hinsä • Hetu Hinsä Hinsä because of Carelessness • Anubandha Hinsä Intention of Hinsä

12. Classification Of Himsä: (Violence) • Ärambhaja or Ärambhi Himsä, Occupational injury • Anärambhaja or Anärambhi Non occupation Intentional injury • Ärambhi Himsä • Udyami Himsä Industrial injury • Grihärambhi Himsä Domestic injury • Virodhi Himsä Defensive injury

13. Different Ways We Commit Himsä • Mind, Body and Speech • Doing act, Encouraging and appreciating • Past, Present and Future • Five One Sense Being, And Four Other Types • 3x3x3x9

14. Himsä can be committed by three kinds of Karana (action): • Krita, by doing it oneself • Karita, by getting it done through others • Anumodana by giving consent to others doing it

15. Avoidable Avoidable Avoidable

16. Observance of Non-Violence by Householders: • He/She will avoid intentional injury and will reduce violence as much as possible for industrial, domestic, and defensive purposes. • He/She will avoid major violence and reduce minor violence as much as possible. • He/She will reduce/avoid both the intentions of violence and the acts of violence.

17. Reasons for Ahimsa • Rational consciousness • Emotional compassion—Other oriented consciousness • Individual responsibility---Self oriented consciousness • Social fellow-feeling • Refraining from violence • Deep reverence for all life.. • Anekäntaväda • Not imposing own thoughts on others or manipulating others for self benefit

18. Ahimsä • The Jain concept of respect for the life of others led to the principle of respect for the views of others, which formed the basis of “Anekänta" or non-one-sided doctrine. • Non-violence (Ahimsä) strengthens the autonomy of life everywhere

19. Support for Ahimsä • Supporting Factors Control of Speech and Mind, Control of Movement, Examinations of food and drink before consuming, Handling waste, Handling household objects • Cultivating Factors Friendship, Appreciation, compassion and equanimity

20. Mother always wishes and worries about well-being of her child • Mother is always pleased with child’s progress and success • Mother always feels pain for child’s sorrow • Mother always ignores child’s faults

21. Maitri----- Friendship Desire to do good to others • Pramod---- Appreciation To be pleased seeing others happy • Karunä----Compassion To feel pain for others’ misery • Mädhyastha----- Equanimity To overlook other’s faults calmly

22. What is your response when you see a little child stepping on a insect? • Example of Social Non-violence • Example of Economic Non-violence • Example of Political Non-violence

23. Example of Social Non-violence • Example of Economic Non-violence • Example of Political Non-violence

24. Circle of Non-Violence • Self • Family • Friends • Society • Enemies • Environment

25. The Six Steps of Non-Violence • Avoid harm By Actions • Avoid harm By Speech • Avoid harm By Thoughts • Love With thoughts • Love With Speech • Love With Actions

26. Non-violence and Compassion Jainism recognizes sanctity in all life forms. • Ahimsä is disciplined behavior towards every living being - Dashvaikalika Sutra (6/9) • Absence of violence of any sort towards all beings at all times is Ahimsä. - Yogasutra • In its absolute definition: • ‘Ahimsä is the absence of destructive thoughts, feelings or attitude’

27. A profound truth for all times “One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water and vegetation, disregards his own existence which is entwined with them” - Lord Mahavir (599-527 BC)

28. The ancient Jain scriptural aphorism • Parasparopgraho Jivänäm – • Tattvärtha Sutra (2000 year old Scripture) All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence • Environment is imbued in every living beings • If we harm “ONE” we harm “ALL” living beings • Refreshingly contemporary in its premise and in its promise. • Forms the basis of the modern day science of ecology.

29. The major lapses and violations of the vow of non-violence: • Not considering Ahimsā as the key element in the whole scheme of the ethical discipline of the Shrāvak and the monk. • Being violent towards others and toward own-self because of passions or carelessness • Encouraging or appreciating violence caused by others

30. Unnecessarily wasting earth, water, fire, air, and vegetations • Not giving protection or expressing compassion towards mobile living beings • Consuming or using harmful and illicit substances. (e.g. drugs, liquor, or food obtained thru gross violence) • Exposing mind to violence by watching violent movies, reading books depicting violence, or associating with violent people

31. Imposing own thoughts on others or manipulating others for self benefit • Needlessly confining animals and birds • Using animal drawn carriages or needless riding on animals • Making animals carry heavy loads • Depriving animals and birds of shelter • Using dairy products obtained from animals that have not been properly cared for.

32. Ahimsä and other Vrats • Ahimsä and Achaurya (Non-stealing) • Ahmisä and Satya ( Truth) • Ahimsä and Aparigrha (Non-possessiveness) • Comfort comes as a guest; lingers to become the host, and stays to enslave us.

33. The Inconvenient Truth • Organic not necessarily means Vegetarian or Vegan • Production of Honey involves violence • Red dye from Crushed Cochineal Insects • One single Edition of NY Newspaper uses 6800 trees • Most Cheese - Rennet Enzyme - Animal product • WHEY -- A by-product of cheese making • Wine making requires clarifying agent like gelatin, eggs, blood from mammals • One silk sari 2000-2500 silk worms • Mercedes-s car with leather seats requires seven cow skin • Bone china is made of calcined ox bone, bone ash.

34. Vegetarianism (Rejection of Eating Animal Food • Rejection of Drinking Liquor • Abandonment of Honey • Dress and Decoration • Basic Positive Aspects of Ahimsa

35. What does Jainism teach about ecology? • Non-Possessiveness / Self-restraint is the second most important Jain principle • Minimizing consumption provides respect for other’s life and Environment • Reduce needs and wants as far as possible. • Reuse / Recycle Products - Not to waste the gifts of nature • Share resources • Nature provides enough for our NEED not enough for our GREED

36. Non-violence (Ahimsä) strengthens the autonomy of life everywhere • Non-absolutism (Anekäntaväda) strengthens autonomy of thoughts & speech (Syädväda) • Non-possessiveness (Aparigraha) strengthens autonomy of interdependence

37. Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other, too.